600,000 cigarettes seized from van in Scotland

A van driver has been arrested after an estimated 600,000 illicit cigarettes were seized by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

The vehicle was stopped by Police Scotland officers while driving southbound on the M74 in the Lanarkshire area at about 11am on Friday 14 August.

Officers discovered the haul in the back of the van and alerted HMRC. The estimated duty lost on the cigarettes is £185,000.

A 32-year-old man from Coventry was arrested and charged with excise duty fraud.

Joe Hendry, assistant director, fraud investigation service at HMRC, said: “We are committed to disrupting the distribution of illicit tobacco across the UK and levelling the playing field for local businesses who cannot compete with criminal competitors.”

Anyone with information about people or businesses involved in tax fraud can contact the HMRC Fraud Hotline on 0800 788887 or online at gov.uk