1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
...as smugglers hit Wale
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
III Customs officials are playing down fears that Welsh ferry ports have become a soft touch for smugglers following two major seizures of contraband from HGVs.
At Pembroke Dock a Northern Irish driver was arrested when more than a million cigarettes were discovered underneath his load of flat-pack furniture. The duty being evaded was around 300,000.
And at Holyhead 30,000 litres of white diesel was found hidden in a specially constructed tank inside a reefer carrying fish.
Neither driver has yet been charged but their vehicles have been impounded while investigations continue.
Although fuel smuggling from Ireland is to be expected because diesel is considerably cheaper than in the UK, Irish cigarettm actually more expensive. This suggests smugglers may be taking central tobacco and other goods to the Republic from the Continent and then or ing the UK via Welsh ports which someti have no Customs officers on duty.
Customs spokeswoman says a nat strike force of officers was set up last y "It is a more flexible approach and te will go where the biggest risk is. Betweei 80% of smuggled goods come over on s sea crossings to the South-East so th where most of our officer's are. If we be that Pembroke Dock is proving a bit problem the national strike force will there and do a huge operation."