Counterfeit goods seizure commended - Cree

Ulster Unionist MLA for North Down and member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board Leslie Cree has commended the sterling work of HM Revenue and Customs in seizing more than 50,000 suspected counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes in Londonderry.

"I am pleased that raids on 20 premises across the city carried out by HM Revenue and Customs led to such a great result. Aside from the cigarettes, some 10 kilos of hand rolling tobacco, counterfeit CDs, DVDs and football tops were also seized.

"While the campaign against the sale of illicit tobacco products and counterfeit goods is an uphill struggle, it is a battle worth winning.

"The revenue from the duty paid on these goods plays a vital role in funding our public services, while the act of counterfeiting undermines law and order by ploughing ill-gotten gains back into the pockets of criminals, spurring them on to further misdeeds.

"For those who see this as a ‘victimless crime’, it is worth remembering that smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK, and therefore the purpose of increasing the price of cigarettes through increasing duty is to try to discourage smoking, particularly amongst the young."

ENDS…