Customs
Officers in the South West have seized more than thirty vehicles in
the last six months under a new get-tough policy with alcohol and
tobacco smugglers. That's a threefold increase on the same period
last year.
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Bootleg
supplies: no hiding place
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At the same time
they've seized twelve million contraband cigarettes. Behind the crackdown
is the big increase in bootlegging which is currently costing the
Chancellor more than two billion pounds a year. Its also hurting small
traders who're being undercut by the smugglers.
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Customs
spokesman:
Bob Gaiger
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According to Customs
spokesman Bob Gaiger: "We've found cigarettes being sold in sandwich
bars, we've found vans touring industrial estates, we've had people
supplying those at work through the workplace and we've also had them
at car boot sales."
Much of the contraband enters Britain via the Channel ports and customs
investigators based at Plymouth are in the frontline trying to stem
the flow.
Impounded vehicles used to be returned to their owners for a small
fine: "Nowadays we need to be tougher", said Mr Gaiger, "and so if
we find someone using a vehicle in a smuggling attempt we seize the
vehicle and they won't get it back." |
