Illegal Tobacco Business, Alarming News

The extraordinary increase in illicit tobacco business in the country has rung alarm bells in higher echelons of authority. An urgent need to check its rampant growth has been acknowledged by the tax authorities. According to sources there has been an increase of 11 percent in illegal cigarette trade during last one year, bringing losses worth billions of rupees to the national exchequer.

Cigarettes Seized in Market Place Raid

Almost 80,000 illegal cigarettes have been seized from a Dudley market stall. The raid, which took place earlier this month, was carried out by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Dudley’s trading standards and NHS Dudley and also saw further investigations of a van and a private address. A total of 78,940 cigarettes were taken from the stall. No duty had been paid on any of them, leading to around £18,000 being evaded. Trading standards officials also confiscated a large amount of counterfeit clothing.