Last month, HM Customs and Excise were rather busy around the Isle of Wight.
Over a period of a few days, they confiscated smuggled alcohol
and tobacco goods that were being sold in shops and seized vehicles running illegally on red diesel.
They ended up with quite a haul in raid to houses and shops …
- 65.8 litres of spirits from a shop in Shanklin
- 253.5 litres of wine and 2.4 litres of spirits from a shop in Brading
- 279 litres of wine and 42.4 litres of spirits from a shop in Ventnor
-
1,500 cigarettes, 440 cigars and 5 kilos of hand rolling tobacco from
a residential address in Ventnor and -
1,200 cigarettes and 0.4 kilos of tobacco from a residential address
in Bembridge.
Red diesel
As you probably know, agricultural vehicles get a tax break of the fuel that they use, but this fuel is died red, to identify it.
Over last month, 100 commercial vehicles on the Island were tested for red diesel.
Three were found to be running on the illegal fuel and were seized.
They were later returned to their owners on payment of a fine.
Image: Edwin Land under CC BY 2.0
