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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Three held over tobacco smuggling | Three held over tobacco smuggling |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Two men from Northern Ireland and a third from England have been arrested over the smuggling of millions of cigarettes. | Two men from Northern Ireland and a third from England have been arrested over the smuggling of millions of cigarettes. |
| The men are being questioned about one of the largest ever international tobacco smuggling operations. | The men are being questioned about one of the largest ever international tobacco smuggling operations. |
| The operation involved the manufacture and smuggling of cigarettes from the Far East into the UK and the Republic. | The operation involved the manufacture and smuggling of cigarettes from the Far East into the UK and the Republic. |
| The arrests followed raids on both sides of the border and in Cambridgeshire. | The arrests followed raids on both sides of the border and in Cambridgeshire. |
| Seized | |
| HM Revenue and Customs said the raids were part of an international investigation into tax evasion and money laundering. | HM Revenue and Customs said the raids were part of an international investigation into tax evasion and money laundering. |
| During the raids, officers seized documents, computers and mobile phones. | |
| The Criminal Assets Bureau in the Republic was also involved, carrying out raids in Cork, Meath and Louth. | |
| John Whiting, HMRC Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation, said the investigation had been ongoing for 18 months. | |
| He said excise fraud cost UK taxpayers an estimated £3bn a year. |