Oct 04 – RGP Smuggling Operation Seizes 15000 Cigarettes

As a result of an on-going surveillance operation the RGP arrested, on Thursday 3 October 2013 at the Queensway Car Park, seven Spanish nationals on suspicion of being knowingly concerned in the attempted exportation of a commercial quantity of tobacco, as a result of the arrests approximately 15000 cigarettes, a Ford Transit van, a Citroen Picasso, a white Nissan vanette and a Mitsubishi Charisma were seized by the police. The Ford Transit van was being used as a mobile workshop where tyres were being deflated and then packed with cigarettes. The tyres were then inflated and placed on waiting vehicles. The said van had all its windows blackened which made the interior non visible from outside. Inside there was an air compressor connected to the vehicles battery. There was also some sort of ‘A’ frame, which allowed them to remove the tyre from the wheel. This was a well-planned operation to smuggle large quantities of cigarettes through the frontier undetected.

The seven arrested persons have all been bailed out in the sum of £1000 in their own recognizance to appear at Police Headquarters on the 27 November 2013.

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