TAX investigators discovered more than four million cigarettes in a raid on a warehouse in Glasgow.

Investigations then led the HMRC officers, who were working with Police Scotland, to a tobacco factory in Hamilton. 

The equipment was dismantled and officers seized two industrial mixing machines, a tobacco shredder, packaging and 45 kilos of tobacco. 

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Glasgow Times:

Three men from Airdrie were arrested and charged with Excise Duty fraud and money laundering offences. Around £20,000 was also recovered from one of their homes. 

Officers estimated that the Glasgow warehouse operation had short-changed the public purse by £1.6 million in lost duty and taxes.

The three men, aged between 25 and 34 were released pending further investigation.  

Glasgow Times:

Joe Hendry, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “This is another example of the combined powers our partners at the Scottish Crime Campus and Serious Organised Crime Taskforce have to disrupt, detect and deter the illicit trade of tobacco and other forms of criminality. 

Glasgow Times:

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“Tackling criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £1.9 billion a year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.

Glasgow Times:

“We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of cigarettes to report it to HMRC online at gov.uk or call our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”

Police Scotland said that a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal "in due course".