##UPDATED## ln just 1 year ...68,765 people had their tobacco/cigs seized by UKBA/HMRC

On top of the 68,765 people who had their tobacco/cigs seized, 5618 of these poor souls had their vehicles seized,

The figure of the number who had goods seized is even higher in reality as when people who are intimidated into leaving their goods without an interview by UKBA/HMRC there is no documented record of this unless the UKBA/HMRC chooses to do such. UKBA/HMRC are not obligated to record such an incident immediately ... they can do it at their convenience. Heh heh, so these seized goods that there is no record of will ALL be documented at a later date by said UKBA/HMRC officer? Answers on a postcard please.

So, to the facts we've got through an FOI for seizures in the period 2008/9.

Firstly we'lll look at Maritime Seizures. These include all the ports AND get this ... the Channel Tunnel at Coquelles in France. Creative accounting? :) This total is 4,712 seizures. Oh l forgot! there's an extra 2836 seizures (the only ONE they put in their annual performance report). These 2836 seizures are cross-channel seizures ... perhaps they don't know cross-channel is Maritime.

Next we have Air seizures which total 41,765 seizures

Then we have Inland seizures which total 1,477 seizures.

Overseas Seizures are 132... yes 132.

All the above are for cigarettes only. The tobacco are as follows.

17,703 seizures. They don't break this down into Maritime, Inland, Air, Cross-Channel or Overseas.

Also they don't say where the 5618 vehicles were seized but they don't know what happened to them anyway!. They seem to think that giving me this information is not in the public interest! :)

How long is this wholesale state robbery going to continue?

Written in a quaint no-smoking restaurant in Bulgaria where they supply ashtrays to smokers. No going out in the cold for a smoke for me :)


UPDATE


l chose 2008/9 stats because l could get some of them from HMRC before part of it got swallowed up in the merger to form UKBA.

Since then stats are very hard to get because UKBA say HMRC have them and vice-versa. Even bloody Damien Green didn't know who kept the stats and he's the Minister in charge of them! 

The 2008/9 stats were difficult enough as they only published Cross-Channel seizures of 2836. This was a blatant attempt to deceive the public and it is still going on.

SMOKING BAN

It's been a while since l've been back in Yambol, Bulgaria, The restaurants, bars etc had a choice of going smoking or non-smoking. The smoking bars, restaurants are doing well, some of the non-smoking establishments have closed down and the other non-smoking places now have smoking even though the signs say 'No Smoking Allowed'.

Lesson to be learned eh? Ah but our esteemed representatives are not listening are they? Fingers in the ears and eyes shut tight.  

Another Exclusive! Audio of UKBA stop and denial of entry to UK of British citizens!

This audio is about being detained for approx 2 hrs by UKBA with help from uniformed Police. At no time was any legal justifiable reason given. ln fact during the whole 2hr episode UKBA only showed their faces for just 2 small periods of 3.32 mins and 3.26 mins. During all this time they never gave any legal justifiable reason to the 2 uniformed policemen as to why they should legally detain. This is despite the UKBA's own force. operations manual where it states:-

"REASONS for requesting assistance should be CLEARLY stated to the officers of the other agency to allow them the opportunity to consider whether there is JUSTIFIABLE CAUSE for exercising any of their own powers"

These policemen became very uncomfortable and unsure of the position they were put in by UKBA. Note at 20.11 in the audio the policeman says he has no idea of what he would use to carry out an arrest. At  31.04 one of the 2 policemen asks his collegaue to get the UKBA officer back.

One has to feel for them as they were being blatantly used by UKBA who had no regard for the position they had put the policemen in. As it was obvious that they were in a somewhat tricky situation, no attempt was made to make their position worse. The enemy was the UKBA so a non-aggressive approach (either verbal or otherwise) was decided upon in regards to dealing with the policemen.

Remember also that entry was denied to the UK to British citizens who had proof of citizenship and identity. This violates the 1971 Immigration Act where it states :-

"1.

General principles.

— (1) All those who are in this Act expressed to have the right of abode in the United Kingdom shall be free to live in, and to come and go into and from, the United Kingdom without let or hindrance except such as may be required under and in accordance with this Act to enable their right to be established or as may be otherwise lawfully imposed on any person.

[F1 2.

Statement of right of abode in United Kingdom.

— (1) A person is under this Act to have the right of abode in the United Kingdom if—

(a)

he is a British citizen; or"

One should also note that the UKBA officer asked to look into the baggage despite still detaining British citizens and not yet allowing them entry into the UK and consequent baggage retrieval area where once passengers have collected their baggage and then make the decision through which Customs channel to proceed. The baggage was later brought into the no-mans area at approx 30.40 in the audio but ofcourse not yet through any Customs channels.

Note refusal of a glass of water!

The Recording

Done the best l can do with it. lt starts very scratchy but that disappears quickly. You have to remember that these recordings are done in an hostile enviroment and the recorders are hidden. We will get better so please give us some slack. For those not that interested in the general but still very relevant content, the UKBA officer is at 9.53 and the ending is at 31.22. An amazing ending if l may say so myself.

The whole recording has been edited down from 2hrs to 34.48 mins. The 2 silent periods are to break the recording down to 3 distinct parts.

Finally, there are written complaints that have been delivered to UKBA, Police and the Airport regarding this incident that are on going. Oh, and l haven't forgot about Part 3 of the previous recording. lt's just that this one is much more interesting. Part 3 of the other is an audio account of the UKBA interrogation and is very long ... hence lots of work.

Remember folks ....... Do Not Consent!

Viva la Resistance!