Anger brews over seizures
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• Customs and Excise is considering representations from the Road Haulage Association amid continuing anger over powers to seize trucks involved in alcohol and tobacco smuggling.
The RHA's head of international affairs, Mike Freeman, says he is pleased with a "very positive" meeting with Customs officials and is hoping for a sensible response to hauliers' concerns.
He adds: "Obviously our main concern is the fining of operators when goods are found in drivers' cabs. We have also been concerned about communication between Customs and operators."
Freeman adds that the "grey area" of the alcohol and tobacco personal consumption rules was also raised—an issue that has already prompted a number of complaints to the EC (CM30 Aug-5 Sept).
In the most recent incident another truck was confiscated at Dover after a driver was caught with 1800 worth of cigarettes. The driver, who prefers not to be named, insists: "I was not breaking the law. If the government is going to say that you cannot bring back anything more than 800 cigarettes then it needs to be put on the statute books.
"If it carries on like this there will be no room in Dover car park because of all the wagons that have been confiscated."