An investigation is underway after a couple of million bootleg cigarettes and a whole lot of bottles of booze have been seized at a warehouse in West Lothian.
HM Income and Customs (HMRC) has seized about 1.1 million illicit cigarettes and greater than two dozen pallets of alcohol at an industrial park in Whitburn.
An investigation is now underway after officers made the invention final Wednesday (April 27).
Round 5000 litres of whisky, 2600 litres of vodka and 2900 litres of prosecco have been discovered within the warehouse, together with £5000 in money.
The products are regarded as value about £631,000 in misplaced responsibility in taxes.
A van and a forklift on the scene have been additionally seized. No arrests have been made and enquiries are persevering with.
An HMRC spokesperson mentioned: “The sale of unlawful tobacco and alcohol is not going to be tolerated by HMRC or our companion companies.
“Disrupting legal commerce is on the coronary heart of our technique to clampdown on the illicit tobacco and alcohol market, which collectively prices the UK round £3.3 billion a yr.
“That is theft from the taxpayer and undermines professional merchants.”
Anybody with details about the unlawful sale of cigarettes and alcohol ought to report it to HMRC on-line at gov.uk.
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