Outputs for April 2018 to March 2019
Updated 15 December 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-outputs-for-tacking-tobacco-smuggling/outputs-for-april-2018-to-march-2019
The government has had a comprehensive strategy to tackle illicit tobacco since 2000.
This has been highly effective in reducing the illicit cigarette trade from 22% (in 2000 to 2001) to 9%, and from 61% to 32% for hand-rolling tobacco per the current tax gap figures to March 2018. In the same period the revenue lost has reduced from £3.4 billion to £1.8 billion per year.
HMRC estimates the size of the illicit market using tax gap data which is reported annually, each autumn.
Recognising that this remains a significant problem, to build on this success HMRC and UK Border Force published a refreshed strategy for tackling tobacco smuggling in March 2015. This explains how we will continue to catch, and punish those in the illicit tobacco trade.
For more details, read Tackling illicit tobacco: from leaf to light.
Tobacco strategy outputs delivered
Cigarette Seizures
April 2018 to March 2019
| HMRC Overseas | Border Force | HMRC Inland | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume (sticks) | 627.2 million | 628 million | 83.8 million | 1.33 billion |
| Revenue value (£) | 225.2 million | 225.5 million | 30 million | 480.7 million |
Case studies
The ringleader of a smuggling gang caught with more than 9 million illegal cigarettes and £356,185 in cash has been jailed for 38 months.
A lorry driver, who was caught smuggling almost 10 million illegal cigarettes disguised as frozen chickens, has been jailed for 4 years.
Hand-rolling tobacco seizures
April 2018 to March 2019
| HMRC Overseas | Border Force | HMRC Inland | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume (tonnes) | 0.35 | 124.3 | 21.5 | 146.1 |
| Revenue value (£) | 100,000 | 35.9 million | 6.2 million | 42.2 million |
Case studies
A jobless Londoner who enjoyed a sociable lifestyle of golf and exotic holidays by dodging tax on smuggled tobacco has been jailed for 46 months.
A haulage company boss who was caught smuggling 2,000kg of hand-rolling tobacco into the UK, evading £442,360 in duty, has been jailed for 18 months after an investigation by HMRC.
Criminal investigations
April 2018 to March 2019
| April 2018 to March 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Arrests | 140 |
| Positive Charging Decisions | 330 |
| Convictions | 278 |
During the life of a prosecution case a decision is made as to whether to charge a suspect or not.
Convictions do not necessarily relate to the prosecutions started in this period, since outcomes to case will depend on the time taken for them to be processed through the judicial system.
Civil penalties
In addition to criminal prosecutions, HMRC uses a range of sanctions and penalties to penalise anyone handling illicit tobacco products, to recover unpaid duty on seizures made at the border and inland to improve compliance.
Tobacco products duty assessments
| April 2018 to March 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Number of assessments for tobacco products duty issued | 1403 |
| Value of tobacco products duty assessments issued | £36,556,933 |
Wrongdoing penalties
| April 2018 to March 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Number of excise wrong doing penalties issued | 1315 |
| Value of excise wrong doing penalties issued | £7,892,795 |
HMRC multi-agency events
HMRC maintains a good working relationship with a variety of partner agencies to combat the illicit tobacco trade. These include local authority trading standards teams, the police and other government departments.
Case studies
A fraudster who was jailed for selling illegal cigarettes from his Wolverhampton shop has been told to pay back £61,000 or face another year behind bars on top of his original sentence of 26 months.
A Co Armagh woman, who stored almost one million illegal cigarettes in an outbuilding next to her home, has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment, suspended for 3 years after an investigation by HMRC.
Help HMRC tackle tobacco smuggling
To report any kind of excise fraud or tax evasion you can contact HMRC with the information, in confidence.