CRIME-CRACKING customs officers have revealed details of their multi-million pound war against smugglers and fraudsters.

HM Customs and Excise North West - which covers East Lancashire and has a base in Blackburn - seized drugs with a street value of £4.3 million and completed 16 VAT fraud investigations worth £11.8 million during 1995/96, according to their first annual report released today.

A team of officers at Chaucer's Walk, Furthergate, Blackburn, work in conjunction with staff at airports and ports and follow up information gained locally.

East Lancashire was recently highlighted as one of the worst areas in the country for bandits smuggling in cheap booze from the continent. But investigators also probe VAT fraud, drugs trafficking and the illegal importation of pornography and endangered species.

The North West annual report reveals how officers;

Helped collect an additional £57.8 million net tax.

Prevented the attempted evasion of more than £500,000 on 2.36 million cigarettes.

Made 10 seizures of pornography and 68 seizures of firearms and ammunition.

HM Customs and Excise North West was formed after a radical shake-up of the service in 1995. The workforce was cut by eight per cent with further redundancies expected in the next three years.

Tony Allen, director of the North West operation, said: "As this report shows, in the year just gone we have met all our operational objectives and exceeded some."

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