Easter car boot fake sales targeted by HMRC

Counterfeit cigarettes

Visitors to Easter car boot sales are being urged by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to be on the lookout for traders selling counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes and alcohol at what may appear to be 'bargain prices.'

Expertly crafted packaging makes it almost impossible to spot whether ‘bargain priced’ tobacco and alcohol products are counterfeit. Like any other counterfeit product, there is no guarantee of the quality or content. Of all the large cigarette seizures HMRC made last year around half were found to be counterfeit.

Stuart Crookshank, Assistant Director for HMRC, said: “Low cost tobacco and alcohol products can often seem very attractive to people who believe they are buying genuine products at a knock down price. Those involved are not concerned if they are selling to children and underage young people and the illicit trade has a devastating impact on legitimate retailers and the local community.

He added: "We all pay extra to compensate for the money these criminals steal and with the economic challenges being faced by businesses and the public, our focus must remain relentless to deter and disrupt the illegal trade. We would encourage anyone who knows of someone selling cheap or duty free cigarettes and tobacco or alcohol to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 or email customs.hotline@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

"The profits from tobacco and alcohol smuggling fund other criminal activities including drug and people trafficking, and causes real harm in the local community. And with over £2 billion in unpaid revenue stolen last year from public funds through tobacco smuggling and around £1 billion through alcohol smuggling, this crime impacts hard on the UK’s finances - money needed to invest in local services."