Four Million Cigarettes Seized At Port of Dover

A Hungarian lorry driver has been questioned by HM Revenue & Customs Investigation officers after over four million cigarettes were discovered at Dover Ferry Port yesterday.

UKBA officers stopped a Hungarian-registered lorry as it disembarked a ferry from Calais early yesterday morning, 24 September 2009. A search of the vehicle revealed 24 pallets being transported in the trailer of which 2 contained tissues and 22 contained cigarettes. An estimated 4,400,000 cigarettes were seized. The revenue evaded on the goods was about £708,000.

The 35 year-old driver of the lorry, from Wekerle near Budapest was arrested, interviewed and subsequently released on bail pending further enquiries.

Bob Gaiger, HM Revenue & Customs Dover spokesman said:

"We take a very serious view of cigarette and tobacco smuggling. It is not a harmless tax fiddle. This type of activity harms honest businesses and costs the UK billions of pounds in lost revenue that ends up lining the pockets of criminals instead of funding vital public services".