Illegal tobacco factory churning out 1.5million cigarettes a day busted in Co Down
A total of seven arrests were made while nine tonnes of tobacco worth millions in duty was recovered
One of the Northern Ireland’s biggest ever illegal tobacco factories has been dismantled after a raid in Newry which also resulted in seven arrests.
The seven men arrested are being questioned and investigations are ongoing.
The sophisticated factory, which was capable of producing 1.5 million cigarettes a day, was uncovered in an operation by HM Revenue and Customs with support from the Police Service Northern Ireland.
The set-up included professional extraction systems, insulation to hide noise and expensive machinery. More than 1.25 million cigarettes and nine tonnes of tobacco were recovered from the site, worth more than £3million in unpaid duty.
Dermot Clarke, Operational Lead in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “This was one of the most sophisticated tobacco factories we have ever uncovered in Northern Ireland and this will be a significant blow to the organised criminals we believe are behind it.
“The illicit tobacco trade steals money from public services, undercuts legitimate businesses and funds other crimes that impact our communities. We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco or alcohol to report it to HMRC online.”
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