Three charged over tobacco smuggling

The duty evaded could be as much as £1.75m

Three men have been charged with smuggling after up to 10 million cigarettes were found in a crane being imported into the UK.

The cigarettes were hidden in the crane's superstructure when it arrived at the Royal Portbury Dock, near Bristol, last week.

A customs spokesman said four men - three British and one Bulgarian national - were arrested following the delivery of the crane to a farm in Foston, Derbyshire.

A second Bulgarian man was later arrested in London and, following interviews with customs officials, three men were charged with duty evasion.

'West country'

Nikola Nikolov, 31, of London, John Griffiths, 31, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and James Kerr, 37, also of Skelmersdale, were bailed to appear at Derby Magistrates' Court on 4 December.

The other two men were released on bail without charge, and are due to report to police on 15 January.

Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger said: "This is the largest quantity of smuggled cigarettes ever seized in one go in the west country.

"Officers are still dismantling the crane but we estimate that there may be as many as 10 million cigarettes hidden.

"If so, the duty evaded will be about £1.75m."