QE2 Cigarette Smuggling Arrest

[transat_jon]

I saw this story in the paper this week :

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/6065610.stm

 

http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=14745626

 

A 42 year old QE2 crew member has been arrested for trying to get what sounds like a pallet full of cigatettes past customs in the UK.

 

The claim of £150,000 tax being evavded seems a bit bloated (is there £4 of tax on a pack of 20?) but then when it comes to money every goverment department always seems to exagerate in the direction that suits there purpose.

[pnhmrk]

The claim of £150,000 tax being evaded seems a bit bloated (is there £4 of tax on a pack of 20?)

 

You'll pay less than £1.00 per pack in Gib (less than USD 1.80); in the UK you're paying well over £5.00 (USD 9.40). So yes, there is at least £4.00 tax per packet!

[Colin_Cameron]

I think there's more to this.

 

765,000 is an awful lot of cigarettes. Its not like its a couple of carrier bags full, its more like a pallet load, the sort of thing that would need a fork-lift truck to load.

 

Can you see the officer in charge of the crew gangway or the loading dock happily calling up a fork-lift truck to load a crewmember's shopping? And then locking it away safely for them?

 

To me it sounds more like the ship's supply. Is it possible that Cunard has been buying some of their stock where they shouldn't have. Or an admin **ck-up :- stock that should have been in the bonded (duty-free) store was put in the wrong place and threfor liable to tax, which wasn't paid - and its the provisions master or some such that's been arrested? :confused:

[transat_jon]

Hi Colin

 

There could always be more than the one crew member involved, also how often do you think they have got away with it in the past?

[Anteeta]

I saw this story in the paper this week :

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/6065610.stm

 

http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=14745626

 

A 42 year old QE2 crew member has been arrested for trying to get what sounds like a pallet full of cigatettes past customs in the UK.

 

The claim of £150,000 tax being evavded seems a bit bloated (is there £4 of tax on a pack of 20?) but then when it comes to money every goverment department always seems to exagerate in the direction that suits there purpose.

 

Well Jon, the sum quoted is about right.

 

And without making any judgement or being seen as a supporter, or otherwise of any political party, let's be quite clear what we're talking about.

 

The UK has clearly stated limits on the amounts of 'duty free' goods which can be imported. Exceeding those allowances is a criminal offence. Anyone can bring in goods in excess of the duty free amounts, but must pay the relevant amount of UK duty.

 

The UK government of the day is reliant upon taxes to pay for hospitals, schools, law enforcemnt, highways etc etc. If individuals avoid such taxes by buying 'bootleg' ciggies. alcohol etc then ultimately we all suffer.

 

I have no problem with the crew person being apprehended. Well done UK Customs I say. We're talking about nearly 4000 cartons of ciggies. Shop price approaching a quarter of a million pounds. Bootleg price probably half of that. So the actions of one individual (in terms of lost revenue)could have paid for an entire hospital ward costs for 6 months. That's OK?