Customs officers have seized £8,500 worth of suspected illegal alcohol and tobacco from Dartford and Gravesend.

Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with support from Kent Police, Kent County Council and Dartford Borough Council Trading Standards, visited 34 shops on March 24 and 25 in the hunt for illegal goods.

The seized haul includes more than 3580 cigarettes, 12.5 kilos of hand-rolling and chewing tobacco and 900 litres of alcohol.

The suspected duty and VAT evaded on the alcohol and tobacco seized is £8500.

 

Peter Millroy, Assistant Director of criminal Investigation, 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 clampdown 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."

Anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco or alcohol can contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000