Record cigarette seizure made at East Midlands Airport

Monday, 13th December 2010

A new record was set at East Midlands Airport when customs officials seized 301,960 cigarettes from the baggage of 16 British travellers who had flown back from Tenerife. The seizure included 6kgs of loose hand rolling tobacco.

The smuggled tobacco products will have cost the Britons some £30,000 in Tenerife. In Britain, they could have been sold for £90,000. The latest seizure is a new record. The previous record was set back in 2004, when officials confiscated 252,000 cigarettes.

On 22 November, the UK Border agency issued a statement. The statement said one of the 16 people was travelling in a wheelchair. Airport staff had escorted the woman to the customs check point.

At the customers check point, the woman’s suitcase was opened, revealing the hidden tobacco. The statement goes on to say that the woman was so startled by the officers’ discovery that she got up and walked out of the wheelchair.

Assistant director at the UK Border Agency Alex Lawther said the latest seizure reflects strong controls put in place by the agency at British airports and ports. The controls are aimed at stopping drugs and weapons from entering Britain. He added that tobacco smuggling was often connected to serious organised crime.

← Wrong kind of forecast blamed for Scottish travel chaos
→ Premier enjoys boost as owners cut room rates
↑ December 2010 news index

Compare Airport Parking & Hotels