From: Sky/Tyne and Wear (UK)
By Andy Hughes
Up to 105,000 counterfeit cigarettes have been seized from an industrial estate in Tyne and Wear – weeks after a 5 percent hike in the price of tobacco.
Officers from HM Revenue & Customs discovered the haul during a raid on a warehouse in North Tyneside.
More than 82 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco was also found during the operation.
The seizure comes six weeks after the Government raised the average price of a packet of 20 by 37p.
Sources believe the haul may have a direct link to the recent price rise.
The brands seized include Superkings Blue, Lambert & Butler, Richmond and Gold Mount.
A sniffer dog found the haul as part of a HMRC investigation into counterfeit tobacco products.
The criminals behind the scam were planning to cheat the taxman out of more than £30,000 by dodging excise duty.
A spokeswoman for HMRC confirmed the details of the seizure, but refused to comment further as the raid was part of a larger investigation by officers.
If you know of someone storing or selling illegal tobacco, call the HMRC hotline on 0800 595 000.