LONDON: Illicit tobacco and alcohol seized in Ealing this week following an operation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to clampdown on the illegal trade.
Working in close partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service, officers seized illicit goods from two independent stores in Acton.
These included 2,500 litres of beer, 10 litres of spirits, 2,600 litres of wine, 7,200 cigarettes and five kilos of hand rolling tobacco. The total duty evaded is about £7,670.
Jennie Kendall spokesperson for HMRC, said: “This illegal trade has a devastating impact on legitimate retailers, who have to compete with black market traders.
We appeal to local people and businesses to join us in the fight against crime and encourage anyone with information on illegally imported goods, or tax evasion and fraud, to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000.”
Sergeant Graham Edwards of Ealing Borough Licensing, said: “Our excellent partnership working with HMRC is enabling us to reduce the amount of alcohol and tobacco that is either counterfeit, or where the duty has not been paid, from shop-shelves and therefore from the streets of Ealing. This is an excellent result and we look forward to future joint operations with our HMRC colleagues.”
