News in Brief
HMRC operation seizes alcohol in Wales
Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), North Wales Police, UK Border Agency, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham Trading Standards, visited 59 retail premises and self-storage units towards the end of October.
HMRC, the UK’s tax authority, said 2,703.35 litres of alcohol was seized with an estimated £6,615 duty and VAT evaded.
Investigations into the seized items, which included cannabis cookies, are ongoing.
More than 440,000 cigarettes and 169 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco were also found.
John Cooper, assistant director, fraud investigation service at HMRC, said it would not tolerate sale of illegal tobacco and alcohol.
“Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2.5bn a year, and the sale of illicit alcohol which costs the UK around £1.3bn per year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.”
Chief inspector, Dave Jolly at North Wales Police, said: “As a result of the activity…we have denied criminals the opportunity to evade duty and benefit financially at the expense of the residents of North Wales.”