ALMOST 1.4 tonnes of tobacco which was heading for the UK illegally has been seized at Poole Port this month.

UK Borer Agency (UKBA) staff at Poole Ferry Port on Monday evening found 930 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco – enough to make 1.8million cigarettes – in an Iveco van coming in on a ferry from Santander, Spain.

The van driver, a 33-year-old Romanian man who lives in Spain, was arrested and interviewed. He has been released on police bail until January.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers are now investigating the attempted smuggling, which would have evaded £105,000 in tax.

On October 3 officers uncovered 450 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco and 28,000 cigarettes in a people carrier, also at Poole Ferry Port.

A 47-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman from Stockton-on-Tees, returning from Cherbourg, France, were arrested and have been released on bail until January. Investigations are ongoing. The revenue evaded in this case is around £56,000.

Bob Gaiger, HMRC spokesman in the South West, said: “Regional ports like Poole should not be seen as a soft touch. The skills of UKBA detection officers and HMRC investigators have prevented almost 1.4 tonnes of tobacco from being smuggled into the UK. Smugglers are motivated by profit and don’t care about the impact their actions have on legitimate retailers.”

Anyone with information about illegal smuggling activities should call the Customs’ Hotline on 0800 59 5000.