A man has been arrested after being caught bringing 600,000 illicit cigarettes into Scotland.
The van driver was stopped by police while driving southbound on the M74 near Lanarkshire on Friday, August 14.
Officers found a haul of counterfeit cigarettes in the back of the van, with an estimated duty loss of £185,000.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was alerted and a 32-year-old man was taken to Motherwell police station for questioning.
He was later charged with Excise Duty fraud.
Joe Hendry, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “We are committed to disrupting the distribution of illicit tobacco across the UK and levelling the playing field for local businesses who cannot compete with criminal competitors.
“Anyone with information about people or businesses involved in tax fraud can contact our HMRC Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887 or online at gov.uk.”
Gary Tickner, Road Policing Inspector, Police Scotland, said: "This seizure is an excellent example of our partnership with HMRC in tackling organised crime groups.
“We continue to work closely with partner agencies to detect and disrupt criminal activity in our communities."
Illicit cigarettes have no legal market in the UK as duty has not been paid and the appropriate health warnings and images might not be present.
