Four arrested in VAT raid

FOUR people were arrested in Blackburn yesterday as part of an investigation into a suspected £1m VAT fraud.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officers raided eight premises including residential addresses in Blackburn and business addresses in Trafford, Greater Manchester.

The individuals – three men and one woman, all in their 30s and 40s – were arrested following an HMRC probe into food outlets at the Trafford Centre and into several defunct Lancashire travel companies. The operation was assisted by officers from Lancashire police.

HMRC said documents, paperwork, mobile phones and computers were seized during the raids, and the suspects were being questioned at police stations across Lancashire.

Mike O’Grady, HMRC assistant director for criminal investigations in the North West, said: “These arrests are the result of strenuous efforts by our teams of dedicated officers to disrupt the sophisticated scams of those bent on stealing money from the public purse by evading tax and falsifying claims.

“HMRC staff rigorously check VAT repayment claims to ensure this type of fraud is detected and stopped. We are committed to bringing those involved to justice and depriving them of the proceeds of their crime and to recover the money stolen from the British taxpayer.”