Customs seize 12,000 smuggled cigarettes

The three men and a woman, all from Belfast, have all been arrested on suspicion of the fraudulent evasion of excise duty.

Joe McGuigan, of HMRC, said: “This is part of our ongoing work to prevent the onward transport and sale of illegal cigarettes and protect honest shopkeepers in Northern Ireland.

“Our officers will continue to tackle those who fraudulently purchase cigarettes with a view to selling them on the UK market in order to avoid payment of duty.”