Safer 6 - Midlands' "largest ever" smuggled alcohol plot smashed
Published on 28th October 2011
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A staggering 1.7 million cans of beer and bottles of wine have been detained from five factory units at an industrial site in Wednesbury in the last 24 hours, following a raid by HM Revenue & Customs.
The operation, supported by Sandwell Police as part of the borough's Safer 6 campaign, is believed to be the largest ever alcohol bust in the West Midlands.
Jennie Kendall, spokeswoman for HMRC said: "This is a significant haul of premium branded beer and wine that was primed and ready for mass circulation across the West Midlands in the run-up to Christmas.
"The revenue loss on the goods would have deprived the UK economy of £800,000 - money needed to fund our public services. The effect on legitimate traders would have been devastating at what is their busiest time of the year.
"The gangs behind this form of criminality reap huge profits which are ploughed straight back into the criminal underworld, feeding activities like drug smuggling, people trafficking and fraud."
She added: "We are keen to work closely with local residents and communities in the fight against this type of crime."
Jennie encouraged anyone who knows of someone selling cheap or duty free alcohol or tobacco to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 or email customs.hotline@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
Sergeant Sean Griffiths, from Sandwell Police's Safer 6 team, said: "We are committed to working with our local partners in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. This operation has been extremely successful in taking a large quantity of illegal alcohol of our streets."
Around 900 pallets were discovered containing the beer and wine - enough to fill 35 articulated lorries.
During the search of the premises, around £50,000 was found hidden in a Nike shoe box in a disused water tank on top of one of the offices. The cash has been detained under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Councillor Derek Rowley, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: "This is another fantastic result achieved by working in partnership during the Safer 6 campaign."
Sandwell's six week Safer campaign is running from September 26 to November 6.
It involves Sandwell Police, Sandwell Council, HMRC and a host of other partner organisations holding intensive action, providing additional reassurance and promoting safety across the borough's six towns at a time of year when crime and anti-social behaviour can often rise.
You can find more information on the campaign at the Safer 6 web page.