An attempt to smuggle almost 22 tonnes of tobacco into the UK has been prevented by Border Force officers at Hull docks.
The seizure happened on Monday 18 December when officers searched an HGV lorry that had arrived at the port from Rotterdam.
Officers discovered 33 pallets of large cardboard boxes, which were found to contain unprocessed tobacco. The shipment had been misdeclared as paper.
Simon Render, Border Force Senior Officer, said:
This is a significant seizure. By stopping the shipment our officers have starved those responsible of the proceeds of their criminality.The black market cheats honest traders and it is effectively stealing from the public purse. People tempted by cheap cigarettes and tobacco should think again.
Border Force officers use high-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.
They use an array of search techniques, which in addition to sniffer dogs includes carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners - as well as visual searches - to find illegal drugs, firearms and tobacco which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.
Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling can call our hotline on 0800 59 5000.
Published 29 December 2017
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