Shotguns, machinery and £10k of alcohol and cigarettes discovered in raid of farm in Malpas

Dec 10 2009 by Ben Coulbeck, Chester Chronicle

BOOZE and tobacco worth more than £10,000 were seized during a raid at a farm in Malpas.

A joint operation between Cheshire Constabulary and HM Revenue and Customs uncovered the cache of items, many of which are believed to be stolen.

The swoop uncovered plant machinery, Bobcat machinery which police believe was stolen in 2002, four shotguns, 19kg of hand-rolling tobacco, 160 litres of wine, 468 litres of spirits and 152 litres of beer.

A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and failing to comply with a firearms licence. He has since been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Graham Forbes, HMRC special investigations manager, said: “Trading in smuggled and counterfeit goods isn’t a harmless fiddle, it encourages otherwise law-abiding citizens to deal with criminals.

“The gangs behind this form of criminality reap huge profits from sales which are ploughed straight back into the criminal underworld, feeding activities like drug dealing and fraud.

“We are keen to work closely with local people and communities in the fight against this type of crime.”

Insp Phil Hodgson, who led the investigation alongside HMRC, on behalf of the Western Rural Policing Unit, said that authorities working in partnership was key to the success of the heist.

He added: “We will continue to work with partner agencies to tackle crime in our communities by carrying out warrants on premises where we believe stolen goods are being stored or other offences are being committed.”

Customs officers and the police are encouraging anyone who knows people selling cheap or duty-free alcohol, cigarettes or tobacco to call 0800 59 5000 or email customs.hotline@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk.