UK: Customs forced to hand back 21,000 cigarettes after High Court decision
Three women who say they had a “day of hell” when customs officers seized their car as well as tobacco and alcohol, have been handed back 21,000 cigarettes.
The women were stopped at the French end of the Channel Tunnel after a day’s shopping, and had everything they had bought taken away from them. They were then taken by minibus through the tunnel and dropped off in Folkestone town centre, where they had to wait for three hours for a friend to come to pick them up.
While the trio recognised that 21,000 cigarettes was twice as much as they were allowed under Customs rules, a landmark decision in the High Court last year means that passengers are allowed to bring back as many cigarettes and as much drink as they want – unless Customs can prove the goods are not for personal use.
Now the three women are considering a claim for compensation. One of the three said: “It was freezing, it turned out to be the worst day of my life. We did nothing wrong but I lost my car and we lost all we had bought. Now we want compensation. The car has been sitting in a Customs pound ever since and can’t be worth a penny now.” Customs declined to comment.
