Fake tobacco 'may have been rat droppings and sawdust'

A HAUL of counterfeit tobacco and cigarettes seized by Customs would have found their way onto the streets of Derby, officials say.

Officers from HM Revenue and Customs swooped on a business unit in Shirebrook and seized 12,000 cigarettes and enough tobacco to make 1.2m roll-ups.

They say the tobacco, weighing a total of 604 kilograms, could have been made up of a mixture of materials, including rat droppings and sawdust.

Much of the tobacco haul – one of the largest seized in the Midlands over the last four years – had been labelled as the popular brand Golden Virginia.

Jennie Kendall, from HM Revenue and Customs, said: "There is a high probability that the tobacco would have been sold in Derby city centre and other parts of Derbyshire.

"It would have been made available in pubs, at peoples' houses, at car boot sales, markets or out of the back of a van.

"We have no idea what could be in there – rat droppings, camel droppings, sawdust – it could be anything and that's the gamble."

HM Revenue and Customs also seized 275 litres of wine during Saturday's swoop. It was not counterfeit, but duty on it had not been paid.

It is estimated the goods' value in tax was about £145,000, which would have been collected if they had been sold legitimately.

Last month, the Derby Telegraph revealed how a £9m trade of counterfeit cigarettes in Derby had left several smokers severely ill in the city.

Nobody has been arrested following the Shirebrook seizure and investigations are ongoing.