Visitors to the Chatsworth Country Fair in Bakewell, Derbyshire, later this month will enter the world of organised smuggling and counterfeit goods, before being shown how HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officers stepped in to stop the items reaching the UK's streets.
Other seizures - including ivory, snake and crocodile skin, seized under protected species legislation - will also be on display on HMRC's exhibition stand. There will also be help and advice on a wide variety of tax and benefits issues.
Gail Jacobs, exhibitions officer for HMRC said:
"The items on display have been seized by HMRC officers. They range from class A drugs shipments to counterfeit designer label clothing, and from counterfeit cigarettes to 'souvenirs' in the form of skins, handbags, shoes and ornaments made from protected species.
"Our frontiers officers are now taking their expertise to the new UK Border Agency, which brings together the work of the Border and Immigration Agency, UK visas, and parts of HMRC at the border. The successes on display at the Chatsworth Country Fair confirm that those thinking of smuggling illegal and prohibited items should think again."
Taxation, excise duties, benefits and credits all fall under HMRC's remit and any employer, employee, parent or child will be affected in some way by one or more of its operations. From child benefit to the child trust fund and VAT to income tax, HMRC aims to provide information and assistance wherever possible. The HMRC exhibition team will welcome any enquiry about these types of issue. Anyone seeking help with online services, helpline numbers or basic advice on all HMRC's roles and responsibilities can visit the stand throughout the day.
The Chatsworth Country Fair takes place on Friday, 29 August, to Sunday, 31 August at Chatsworth, Bakewell, Derbyshire. The Show opens from 9am to 6pm each day.
Notes to editors
1. HMRC is responsible for collecting the bulk of the UK's tax revenue. It pays and administers tax credits, child benefit, student loan recovery and the Child Trust Fund. We also protect the public by enforcing and administering environmental taxes and the national minimum wage.
2. The UK Border Agency, which began operating on 3 April 2008, brings together the work of the Border and Immigration Agency, UK visas, and parts of HM Revenue and Customs at the border. The Agency will protect the UK with single immigration and customs checks at the border, tackle smuggling, immigration crime and border tax fraud, and implement fast and fair decisions.
Issued by HM Revenue & Customs Press Office
Website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk
Client ref CEN 32/08
COI ref 164481P
