Outputs for April 2016 to March 2018
Updated 12 September 2024
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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 15% today, and from 61% to 28% for hand-rolling tobacco. In the same period the revenue lost has reduced from 拢3.4 billion to 拢2.5 billion per year.
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.
HMRC estimates the size of the illicit market using tax gap data which is reported annually, each autumn. Read the latest report: Tobacco tax gap estimates 2016 to 2017.
Tobacco strategy outputs delivered
Cigarette seizures
April 2016 to March 2017
| HMRC Overseas | Border Force | HMRC Inland | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume (sticks) | 933.7 million | 376 million | 46.5 million | 1.35 billion |
| Revenue value | 拢308.1 million | 拢124 million | 拢15.3 million | 拢447.4 million |
April 2017 to March 2018
| HMRC Overseas | Border Force | HMRC Inland | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume (sticks) | 912.6 million | 471 million | 105.6 million | 1.48 billion |
| Revenue value | 拢318.4 million | 拢164.3 million | 拢36.8 million | 拢 519.5 million |
Case studies
A , was jailed for 14 months in March 2018 after an investigation by HMRC.
鈥� a group of London based fraudsters caught smuggling cigarettes in a lorry load of washing machines has been jailed for a total of more than 11 years.
Hand-rolling tobacco seizures
April 2016 to March 2017
| HMRC Overseas | Border Force | HMRC Inland | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume (tonnes) | 1.4 | 300.6 | 42.9 | 345 |
| Revenue value | 拢370,000 | 拢77.8 million | 拢11.1 million | 拢89.3 million |
April 2017 to March 2018
| HMRC Overseas | Border Force | HMRC Inland | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume (tonnes) | 0.35 | 268.5 | 24.3 | 293.2 |
| Revenue value | 拢90,000 | 拢73.8 million | 拢6.6 million | 拢80.6 million |
Case studies
for a total of 16 years after a 拢17 million tax fraud involving an illegal tobacco factory was discovered.
鈥� a convicted tobacco smuggler, who had been warned that being caught again with illicit tobacco would mean his return to prison, has been jailed for 10 years.
Criminal investigations
| April 2016 to March 2017 | April 2017 to March 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Arrests | 276 | 192 |
| Positive Charging Decisions | 445 | 298 |
| Convictions | 318 | 263 |
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 cases 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
| 2016 to 2017 | 2017 to 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of assessments for tobacco products duty issued | 1526 | 1606 |
| Value of tobacco products duty assessments issued | 拢31.9 million | 拢27.4 million |
Wrongdoing penalties
| 2016 to 2017 | 2017 to 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of excise wrong doing Penalties issued | 1827 | 1616 |
| Value of excise wrong doing Penalties issued | 拢13.4 million | 拢12.2 million |
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
With the assistance of Trading Standards and the Police we have tackled the illicit trade operating out of shops, in the year ending 2017. HMRC has also worked with council Trading Standards, police, and British Gas.
An inter-agency operation also led to the , the seizure of 4 lorry loads of processed and raw tobacco, cigarettes and packaging materials and the arrest of 10 men in November 2016.
HMRC worked with partner agencies to arrest 8 men and search 11 premises in February 2016 during a multi-agency operation in Manchester which led to the .
Help HMRC tackle tobacco smuggling
To report any kind of excise fraud or tax evasion you can contact HMRC with the information, in confidence.