£¼m of illegal drink seized

Illegal alcohol worth more than £250,000 has been seized during a raid by customs officers.

Investigators from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) found 81 pallets of beers, wine and spirits, and an alcohol re-labelling factory, during an operation in central Scotland last week.

Police believe the alcohol had been diverted back into the domestic market rather than being exported out of the UK. A man has been charged in connection with alleged offences.

HMRC’s assistant director for criminal investigation John Fitzcharles said: “These activities send a clear message to those tempted to become involved in crimes of this nature – we take alcohol fraud extremely seriously and will pursue anyone believed to be involved.”