The last few months have seen a substantial increase in the level of smuggled cigarettes and tobacco in and around South Yorkshire, particularly in the Sheffield and Doncaster areas. Officers have prevented more than 30 million illegal cigarettes from hitting the streets in the last few months, which would be worth more than £5 million in lost revenue and tax.
HMRC Head of Detection for the North of England, John Kinghorn, hopes to lift the lid on the gangs targeting the area:
"South Yorkshire is fast becoming one of the worst areas in the UK for smuggled cigarettes and tobacco. Some people assume that cigarette smuggling is a fairly low level crime and often the public turn a blind eye to it, but what they don't realise is that this activity means big business for criminals and their gangs. These gangs will go to great lengths to smuggle in goods and they are making a hefty profit at the expense of the honest taxpayer."
As part of their operation, custom's officers recently intercepted a huge load of cigarettes, brought into the country by one of the gangs targeting Sheffield. Officers raided a warehouse in Sheffield city centre where they found over 1.3 million cigarettes stashed inside a food tanker. The gang, who fled the scene before officers could arrest them, had been busy unloading the tanker and it was clear that they had gone to great lengths to hide their smuggled goods. A senior customs officer explains:
"The vehicle was a food tanker. The gang had packed over 1.3 million cigarettes into the tanker by hand and then attempted to hide their haul by covering it with sugar."
Customs officers had to tip out the load and wade through the huge mountain of sugar to retrieve the cigarettes.
Customs officers have also recently intercepted a number of 'commercial' scale deliveries of contraband cigarettes in the Doncaster and Sheffield areas including more than 7 million cigarettes cleverly hidden inside a lorry load of frozen squid.
Officers have also seen a stark rise in the number of criminals attempting to bring their contraband goods in through Doncaster's Robin Hood airport.
John Kinghorn comments:
"Cigarette smuggling is serious, organised crime and often provides the funding for much larger criminal operations such as drug smuggling or people trafficking. For these reasons alone we need to flush out the criminals involved in this activity. But, smuggling is also a crime against the honest taxpayer, as it takes away money from the public purse which could be used to help improve local communities and provide funding for vital public services."
South Yorkshire Police are also keen to support HMRC in their fight to stamp out the problem. Det Supt Matt Jukes, of South Yorkshire Police comments:
"However harmless people think cigarette smuggling might be, it's a symptom of organised crime and every pound spent on these commodities goes to criminals. South Yorkshire Police will continue to support Customs and other agencies in tackling it."
HMRC is keen to raise awareness on the dangers of counterfeit cigarettes, which are also on the increase across the region. Counterfeit cigarettes are completely untaxed and unregulated, and carry increased health risks. An HMRC expert on counterfeit cigarettes explained:
"Many smokers think they are getting a good deal but these cigarettes are usually cheap because they not the genuine article. Tests we have carried out on counterfeit cigarettes seized by our officers have shown that in addition to the normal risks associated with smoking, these fake cigarettes can contain deadly ingredients such as dangerous levels of arsenic and other chemicals which can cause serious damage to the body."
Local expert, Amanda Stocks of Doncasters Smokefree initiative also supports HMRC and comments:
"We applaud the success of our Revenue & Customs colleagues. Smuggled cigarettes are undermining the NHS' attempts to encourage people to live healthier lives by giving up smoking. South Yorkshire has the most smoking-related deaths in the UK at around 2,700 each year and many more people have their lives blighted by the long-term health damage caused by cigarettes. The people who smuggle cigarettes into the UK have no regards for health problems they are causing, particularly to young people who can purchase these products much easier than in normal retail channels."
John Kinghorn added:
"I want to strongly discourage the public in South Yorkshire from buying cheap or duty free cigarettes or tobacco. They may feel that they are getting a good deal by saving a couple of pounds on their packet however not only are they funding criminal activity but they will be seriously damaging their health. It is not always easy to tell the difference between a genuine cigarette and a counterfeit cigarette. "
*Do you know someone who is selling cheap or duty free cigarettes & tobacco from their house?
*Is someone selling cheap or duty free cigarettes and tobacco where you work?
*Have you seen large amounts of cigarettes and tobacco products being loaded or unloaded in your area?
If you have information about any of these activities HMRC urge you to come forward and help us crack down on the criminals in your area.
You can contact us in complete confidence and you do not have to give us your name or other personal details. The number to call is 0800 59 5000, this line is open 24 hours a day or you can email us on customs.confidential@hmce.gsi.gov.uk. .
John Kinghorn also sends a strong message to those criminals who think that cigarette smuggling is fair game:
"HMRC are determined to stamp out this problem in South Yorkshire and across the UK. We will continue to work closely with all other law enforcement agencies to make sure that we catch smugglers and ensure they are prosecuted."
