REVENUE and customs officers are probing the seizure of a £15,000 haul of illicit alcohol in Port Glasgow.

Road policing officers discovered more than 1,100 litres of black market vodka after stopping a white Ford transit van on the A8 in the town.

The seizure was made around 10.30am on Sunday morning.
Sergeant Laura Stewart, of Greenock police, said: “Within the vehicle two pallets of boxes containing assorted bottles of vodka were discovered. 

“Enquiries were made and it was established that these had been illicitly obtained and that the excise duty due for the cargo was valued at £14,958.”

Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HRMC) were alerted about the recovery and have retrieved the alcohol.

They say their investigation is continuing.

Cheryl Burr, assistant director in the fraud investigation service at HMRC, said: “Alcohol fraud costs the UK around £1 billion a year in lost tax, money that should be funding vital public services in the UK.

“Levelling the playing field for legitimate local businesses, who cannot compete with their criminal competitors, is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit alcohol market.

“To do this we need everyone’s help, tax fraud is a serious crime and I ask anyone with information about those who may be involved to contact our 24 hour hotline on 0800 788 887.” 

The 26-year-old driver of the van was arrested for separate road traffic offences and now faces prosecution.