SMUGGLING BY MOTORISTS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27036, 11 May 1953, Page 13

SMUGGLING BY MOTORISTS

BRITISH CUSTOMS PRECAUTIONS (From the London Correspondent of "The Press") LONDON, April 23. In its continual battle of wits against large-scale smugglers, the Customs and Excise Department has recently strengthened its search squads at Channel ports in England. Although some of the customs reinforcements will be stationed at ports for luggage examinations, most of the extra officers have been detailed to car ferry ports. The Customs Department’s move is a sequel to an increase in smuggling in cars. More British motorists than ever before will tour Europe this summer on the increased sterling travel allowance, and in case any motorists attempt to take advantage of the heavy increase in car ferry traffic, and try to smuggle in contraband in the rush, extra precautions are being taken. Customs officers believe that the average motorist may be tempted to try to smuggle out extra currency or bring back a few uncustomed goods in cars. Although such offenders will be dealt with, the officers’ main worry is the large smuggling rings in France and Belgium that have been using cars to carry goods. Special “rummage” squads will now search all cars entering or leaving English ports for hidden currency and contraband. The “rummagers” are all experienced drivers and mechanics, with a wide knowledge of the chassis and bodywork construction of English and foreign-built cars. If necessary they can dismantle suspected vehicles within a matter of minutes in their search for smuggled goods. Few parts of a car where goods can be hidden will remain untouched by the rummagers’ dip-sticks, screwdrivers, and steel probes. The tightening up of searches of cars by Customs officers is the sequel to several recent major smuggling arrests. This week two young Belgians were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment and fined £2OOO each for ’’harbouring” 4879 watches in their car. The Belgians used a car bearing “C.D.” (Diplomatic Corps) plates for their smuggling. Usually diplomats’ cars are passed by the Customs with no inspection, and although the Belgians’ car was allowed to pass through Dover, where it was landed, Customs agents traced the car to a garage in Croydon for a search. When the car was stripped the officers found that the luggage boot was packed with watches under the flooring. There was evidence that more watches had been hidden behind the door panels. The large profit in smuggling watches is shown by the fact that single duty on the seized haul was more than £16.000. The two offenders were described in Court as minor agents in a large-scale smuggling operation planned by European gangs.