Customs winning war on smuggling

Conference hears how inroads have been made to tackle imports

The fight to beat cross-Channel smuggling is beginning to see slight improvements, with more smugglers being caught and fewer people attempting to smuggle alcohol into Britain from Europe.

According to HM Customs and Excise (C&E), 90 per cent more vehicles used for smuggling have been seized this year than last year, and several of the large beer warehouses based in Channel ports have closed down because trade has declined.

Nigel Pearce from C&E told delegates at the Guild of Master Victuallers conference that, although smuggling was still a big concern, some inroads had been made into tackling the problem.

"We're dealing with serious, organised crime," he said. "But one improvement is people are now seeing smuggling as serious instead of seeing smugglers as the Arthur Daley, loveable rogue types."

He pointed out that beer, wine and spirits were smuggled in different ways.

"Beer is smuggled in light vehicles," he said. "The market is normally the lower end of the retail trade, for example the disreputable pubs and clubs.

"So the public is not benefiting but is paying the same amount as it would normally - and it's more profitable for the gangs and more damaging for honest licensees."

Wine is smuggled in a similar way, although Mr Pearce said some dishonest restaurateurs will arrange for wine to be smuggled to order.

Mr Pearce said: "Spirits are smuggled in 40ft lorry loads at a time - with a value of up to £100,000 in lost revenue for each lorry."

Spirit lorries leave genuine warehouses on the continent, but are diverted when they arrive in Britain with fake documents to show to customs officers.

"The actual products tend to be the bottom end of the market," said Mr Pearce. "Of those, 50 per cent end up in pubs and the other 50 per cent goes to friends and family."

He pointed out the pubs and clubs were selling the smuggled, cheap brands of spirits as premium drinks - which meant once again that honest licensees and the customers paid.

But Mr Pearce said C&E was tackling the problem with 170 extra officers at Channel ports.

"There are tentative signs things are starting to turn around," he said.

"A number of warehouses just across the Channel have closed down and vehicle seizures are up 90 per cent."

He urged licensees to call a confidential hotline on 0800 59 5000 if they have any information about bootlegging.

But despite the confidence of C&E, the trade is adamant there will be no improvement in smuggling until beer duty is reduced.

Joe Duthie, licensee of the Bennet Arms in Semley, Dorset, is standing as a candidate for the Lower Excise Duty Party in the General Election.

He said: "The only way to stop the smuggling is to reduce tax.

"If we had harmonisation of duty between the UK and Europe, customs officers could concentrate on catching people smuggling crack cocaine or heroin which is much more damaging to society than alcohol and tobacco.

"Change the tax and the smuggling will end."