Ok, well not exactly a gang ... the UKBA. They confiscate over 5000 cars per year from people who have brought back tobacco from the EU in their vehicles. What the actual figure is we have no idea ... they just say over 5000. Even MP's cant get an answer as UKBA say it would be too expensive to produce that figure :)
What? how difficult can it be? Are all the confiscations listed on UKBA's computers or not? lf they are (as they damn well should be) a 5 yr old could get the figure. So, we have a government agency saying that they don't know how many vehicles they've confiscated. Yet, these vehicles are then auctioned off so how do they account for the money they get for them? Then some are scrapped ... how do they account for the money for this?
Despite the High Court saying that confiscating cars is not justified when the value of the car far outweighs any duty being allegedly avoided, it still goes on ... daily. I agree that some will be smugglers but not all by any means. On the prog Smugglers on ITV tonight we saw a man get his car confiscated because him and his mate had 50kg of tobacco. Fair enough you might think but how about the guy who had his 3 yr old van confiscated because he had 4kg of tobacco? No, it wasn't on the prog, it's an appeal l'm dealing with at this moment in time.
You've probably seen some of the comments on Simon's blog saying that what happens at the borders with UK shoppers isn't an issue and is of no concern. Well, excuse me but it bloody well is. People are getting their lives ruined by the UKBA on the most flimsiest excuses and yet it doesn't matter?? To us it does!
Returning to the prog, SBC commented :-
"
The man from Up North with the company car was a prime example of what not to do.
Ok he was no doubt a smuggler and not a legit shopper but he could give a Master Class in how to have your goods and car confiscated.
He lied, he changed his story and worst of all he concealed."
l totally agree and another case of showing what happens when you go shopping totally unprepared. l also agree with that he was a smuggler but let me give you another scenario. If 2 family men who smoked went and bought 25kg each for personal use and they were totally prepared they could follow the path of Zaphod who brought back 27kg of tobacco for personal use ... even though he does not smoke roll-ups!.
Go prepared folks ... or pay the price!
