LONDON: Five people have been arrested in the UK as part of an international investigation into a suspected £5.5m VAT and money laundering fraud.
Three men and two women were detained in County Armagh, Merseyside and Birmingham as part of an investigation led by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – the UK’s tax authority.
The probe is linked to exports of cars to the Republic of Ireland, HMRC said.
Computers, paperwork and almost 1 million cigarettes were seized.
Sandra Smith, assistant director of the fraud investigation service at HMRC, said: “HMRC takes tax fraud extremely seriously and anyone deliberately choosing to evade the taxes they owe should expect not only a heavy fine, but possibly a criminal prosecution as well.”
Officers from local police forces in Northern Ireland, Merseyside and the West Midlands assisted with the searches.
