Spotting Crime

Drug Smuggling

What to look out for:

• yachts, small boats and pleasure craft operating in remote areas
• packages being loaded or unloaded in unusual areas, at remote beaches, at sea, at night or very early morning
• ships signalling ashore or being met by smaller craft
• vessels or aircraft operating at night without lights
• vehicles or vessels specifically adapted to conceal goods or requests for such adaptations
• aircraft touching down or landing in fields or improvised airstrips
• aircraft repeatedly flying low over potential landing or dropping spots
• packages being dropped from aircraft
• people asking questions about the location of secluded beaches or landing sites
• fellow boat or plane passengers acting nervously or suspiciously

Alcohol & Tobacco Fraud

What to look out for:

• tobacco and alcohol goods for sale in unusual places e.g. car boot sales
• unauthorised sellers selling cheap tobacco and or alcohol goods in pubs, clubs and workplaces
• legitimate retailers selling alcohol and/or tobacco products at remarkably cheap prices
• tobacco products without health warnings or with warnings not in English
• tobacco products without the duty paid pack mark
• unusual brands
• unusual, out-of-hours deliveries
• transfer of goods between vehicles
• heavily laden vans
• regular hiring of vans for foreign trips
• UK brands of tobacco and alcohol with tax labels not in English
• frequent private trips to France and/or Belgium

Fuel Smuggling

What to look for:

• Cheap fuel for sale in unusual places (e.g. builders yards/truck depots/ motorway lay-bys/service station car parks)
• Frequent visits made by lorries/ coaches/taxis to above places
• Legitimate petrol stations selling cheap fuel (10 or 20 pence below normal retail price)
• Unusual out-of-hours deliveries to petrol stations
• Vehicles taking in fuel directly from lorries or tanker

VAT Fraud

What to look for:

• shops, restaurants and bars where money is put into an open till drawer, and sales are not rung up
• construction and building services where the suppliers request payment in cash and are reluctant to provide an invoice
• businesses which offer a discount for cash and are reluctant to accept credit cards or cheques
• traders who want to complete transactions in car parks or other unusual places
• electrical goods and mobile phones for sale at substantially less than normal retail selling price from shops, market stalls and pubs
• businesses which do not number their sales invoices and request that payment is made to someone other than the business
• advertisements in local newspapers and shops offering goods or services VAT free

What to do

If you witness any of the above, Customs have a confidential helpline. More info can be found here.

For your safety

• DO NOT become involved - these people can be dangerous
• DO NOT buy any suspect goods or services, even as proof