Raids on Leeds retail premises uncover illegal tobacco stashes

RAIDS on 37 retail premises across Leeds, Bradford and Dewsbury uncovered an illegal tobacco and alcohol operation.

HMRC officers raided the sites and found 22 which harboured illegal materials which they calculated meant that more than £45,000 in taxes had been evaded.

More than 132,000 cigarettes, 49 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco and 52 litres of alcohol were uncovered in the raids on 26 and 27 October 2016.

15 concealed compartments were used to store the illicit tobacco and 19 interviews were conducted on site.

Two shop workers fled the scene and another retailer in Bradford was referred to West Yorkshire Police Licensing after he was found to be selling alcohol without a licence when HMRC seized 26 litres of spirits.

In Dewsbury, 7,800 cigarettes and a small quantity of hand-rolling tobacco were found in a caravan belonging to the owner of shop where 7,990 cigarettes were also seized.

Sandra Smith, assistant director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco and alcohol will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies.

“Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clamp down on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2 billion a year, and the sale of illicit alcohol which costs the UK around £1 billion per year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.”

A number of individuals are continuing to assist HMRC with their enquiries and will be further interviewed in due course.