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| Two released in cigarettes case | Two released in cigarettes case |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Two men from County Londonderry arrested over the smuggling of millions of cigarettes have been released pending reports. | Two men from County Londonderry arrested over the smuggling of millions of cigarettes have been released pending reports. |
| One of the men was Ballykelly car dealer Bob Mullan. | One of the men was Ballykelly car dealer Bob Mullan. |
| In a statement on Wednesday, he strenuously denied any involvement in the offences and said he had fully cooperated with the authorities. | |
| He said he was shocked by what had happened and had been released with no conditions pending a full report. | |
| A third man arrested in Cambridgeshire is still in custody. | A third man arrested in Cambridgeshire is still in custody. |
| HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the operation involved the manufacture and smuggling of cigarettes from the Far East into the UK and the Republic. | HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the operation involved the manufacture and smuggling of cigarettes from the Far East into the UK and the Republic. |
| John Whiting, HMRC Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation, said the investigation had been ongoing for 18 months. | John Whiting, HMRC Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation, said the investigation had been ongoing for 18 months. |
| "Cigarettes have been smuggled from the Far East into the UK over a number of years and we have been seizing those cigarettes and trying to identify the perpetrators while this investigation has been going on," he said. | "Cigarettes have been smuggled from the Far East into the UK over a number of years and we have been seizing those cigarettes and trying to identify the perpetrators while this investigation has been going on," he said. |
| "Today we brought this operation to a conclusion by making two arrests in Northern Ireland and an arrest of an associate of this organisation based in Cambridgeshire." | "Today we brought this operation to a conclusion by making two arrests in Northern Ireland and an arrest of an associate of this organisation based in Cambridgeshire." |
| 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. | 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. | The Criminal Assets Bureau in the Republic was also involved, carrying out raids in Cork, Meath and Louth. |