Lorry loads of counterfeit alcohol and cigarettes seized

This is an archived news story from July 2010

Lorry loads of counterfeit alcohol and cigarettes have been seized in Pendleton by Salford trading standards officers. The potentially dangerous products were seized in a raid that went on until the early hours of the morning.

Officers from Salford council, HM Revenue and Customs, the Food Standards Agency and the police all worked together to transport the massive haul into safe storage.

An estimated 19,000 cans of lager, 430 litres of suspected counterfeit vodka and whiskey, 35,000 suspected illicit cigarettes and 8kg of illicit hand rolling tobacco were seized and detained by officers as part of the ongoing investigations.

Previous raids, in the run up to the World Cup, targeted shops and pubs in Salford, some of which had been known to sell the illegal alcohol. This latest seizure is significantly larger, and it is thought it could be one of the main distribution points of such goods in Salford.

These products are dangerous because the production methods are unknown and no proper checks are made during their manufacture.

Cllr Joe Murphy, Salford City Council lead member for environment said:

"This is a significant breakthrough in stopping the sale of potentially dangerous alcohol and tobacco in Salford. I am pleased to see all the agencies working so well together on this project."

Superintendent David Wilkinson from Greater Manchester Police's Salford Division said:

"This seizure is a firm message to those involved or thinking of getting involved in such activity that their actions will not be tolerated and they will be brought to justice."

Sarah Appleby, head of enforcement at the Food Standards Agency said:

“I am delighted that our close work and financial assistance has helped Salford Trading Standards seize this illicit alcohol. The FSA is determined to stamp out food fraud so that consumers are not misled, and we are working very closely with Local Authorities to achieve this.”

Graham Forbes, HMRC Special Investigations Manager said:

“We are determined to crack the problem of excise fraud. An estimated £2 billion in revenue is being drained from the public purse each year by tobacco smugglers. And spirits fraud alone is estimated to cost the taxpayer around £350m a year in lost revenue. The gangs behind this form of criminality reap huge profits from black market cigarette and alcohol sales which are then ploughed straight back into the criminal underworld, feeding activities like drug dealing and fraud.

“This illegal trade has a devastating effect on legitimate retailers having to compete with the black market. We would encourage anyone with information relating to illegally imported goods or tax evasion and fraud to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 or email customs.hotline@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk.”

Date published: Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Reference number: 10- 2661

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