Why chase contractors when there's more money to be made elsewhere

[darmstadt]

The first time some nutter with a grievance against imperial aggression by the West / animal rights / HMRC had the bright idea of smuggling a case of alcohol that had been deliberately poisoned, in the knowledge it would be confiscated and sold on by HMRC, would put paid to that sort of scheme. You can't just assume that products you confiscate satisfy the same quality and safety requirements as those that are imported legally.

Which is currently why you can't buy alcohol over 20% proof in the Czech Republic due to the fact that a number of cheap rip-offs came onto the market a while ago and quite a few people are dead! At the German borders with most East European countries (also in Berlin) there is a lot of smuggling and trade of dodgy cigarettes from these and far Eastern countries which have been found to contain some of the most foul mixtures known to man (not including tobacco) and are causing numerous health problems.

[The Spartan]

The first time some nutter with a grievance against imperial aggression by the West / animal rights / HMRC had the bright idea of smuggling a case of alcohol that had been deliberately poisoned, in the knowledge it would be confiscated and sold on by HMRC, would put paid to that sort of scheme. You can't just assume that products you confiscate satisfy the same quality and safety requirements as those that are imported legally.

Fair point I was looking at it too simply, like buying additional while you're at the airport in the hope you won't get caught as obviously the stuff there would be legitimate

[tractor]

...

The first time some nutter with a grievance against imperial aggression by the West / animal rights / HMRC had the bright idea of smuggling a case of alcohol that had been deliberately poisoned, in the knowledge it would be confiscated and sold on by HMRC, would put paid to that sort of scheme. You can't just assume that products you confiscate satisfy the same quality and safety requirements as those that are imported legally.

Correct, the only way to deal with it is to sell it back to the manufacturer and subject it to QC once again. That would probably put paid to any financial benefit.

[Gentile]

Surely it would be better to redistribute it for sale and put the money into the UK

The first time some nutter with a grievance against imperial aggression by the West / animal rights / HMRC had the bright idea of smuggling a case of alcohol that had been deliberately poisoned, in the knowledge it would be confiscated and sold on by HMRC, would put paid to that sort of scheme. You can't just assume that products you confiscate satisfy the same quality and safety requirements as those that are imported legally.

[The Spartan]

yeah but the Romanian mafia have guns, being hit with a laptop bag by an irate contractor is less risky.

Very true but then I suppose they could kill two birds with one stone as they would be tackling crime and immigration at the same time. Idealistic though it sounds these gangs from Eastern Europe and elsewhere shouldn't be allowed to operate here in the first place.

I'll be sure to put a brick in my laptop bag from now on

[The Spartan]

The customs guys said that any contraband was always destroyed.

Surely it would be better to redistribute it for sale and put the money into the UK

[vetran]

BBC News - Calling time on alcohol smuggling and drinks duty fraud

Found this really interesting, I stumbled on this after reading about the Arctic systems case and distribution of dividends when you're married etc. Seems like they could devote there resources to a more worthwhile cause as per usual I'm probable late to the party on this one but then I'm living in Zurich

yeah but the Romanian mafia have guns, being hit with a laptop bag by an irate contractor is less risky.

[tractor]

...

That's a superb idea, I can't remember which one of my friends mentioned it but they said that anything customs finds over the allowance limits when you fly back to the UK from being holiday alledgedly they destroy surely that can't be true?

It is true or certainly used to be. I did some work at a company that produced OB vehicles for the BBC a long, long time ago. Amongst other things, they had a contract with Customs where all the imported prOn that was seized came back to their depot for destruction. They used to employ temps and give them hammers to do the job with lol (Of course NONE of it was redistributed haha). The customs guys said that any contraband was always destroyed.

[The Spartan]

I would think this is far easier to combat too. The guilty ones are most likely the cheapest. Just go after them week in, week out. Confiscate the booze. Big fines not jail for the offenders and then re-sell the goods to legit retailers with the profit going back into the Revenue pot.

That's a superb idea, I can't remember which one of my friends mentioned it but they said that anything customs finds over the allowance limits when you fly back to the UK from being holiday alledgedly they destroy surely that can't be true?

[tractor]

...

BBC News - Calling time on alcohol smuggling and drinks duty fraud

Found this really interesting, I stumbled on this after reading about the Arctic systems case and distribution of dividends when you're married etc. Seems like they could devote there resources to a more worthwhile cause as per usual I'm probable late to the party on this one but then I'm living in Zurich

I would think this is far easier to combat too. The guilty ones are most likely the cheapest. Just go after them week in, week out. Confiscate the booze. Big fines not jail for the offenders and then re-sell the goods to legit retailers with the profit going back into the Revenue pot.

[The Spartan]

BBC News - Calling time on alcohol smuggling and drinks duty fraud

Found this really interesting, I stumbled on this after reading about the Arctic systems case and distribution of dividends when you're married etc. Seems like they could devote there resources to a more worthwhile cause as per usual I'm probable late to the party on this one but then I'm living in Zurich