CANNABIS and cigarettes valued at £3.8-million have been seized from the Port of Immingham in recent weeks.

UK Border Force has discovered more than eight-million illegal cigarettes and an estimated ton of cannabis.

The total street value of the smuggled drugs is estimated at £2.6-million and the cigarettes may have sold on the streets for £1.2-million.

John Kinghorn, from UK Border Force, said: "Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs are committed to stamping out the problem of cigarette and drug smuggling across the Humber area in the interests of honest traders and public health.

"These seizures are the result of the hard work, dedication and professionalism of our officers, who often have to conduct their duties in difficult conditions to stop dangerous and illegal products reaching the market place." The main seizures were:

On December 18, officers found a ton of cannabis in a trailer that arrived on a ferry from Rotterdam. In total, 64 bags of herbal cannabis and 20 large blocks of resin were recovered, with a street value of about £2.6-million.

More than five-million counterfeit cigarettes were recovered from a trailer that arrived from Gothenburg on December 20. The 5,057,600 cigarettes recovered would have yielded £1,064,752 in excise duty and Vat.

The final seizure of three-million cigarettes was made on December 21, from a trailer on the ferry from Esbjerg. Officers removed layers of chipboard, yellow plastic covers and metal sheets from the trailer to reveal a wooden coffin-like box which contained 2,994,400 cigarettes that were liable to £507,730 excise duty and Vat.

No arrests have been made but HM Customs is carrying out inquiries.

Stop illegal trade

Report any premises buying or selling duty-free cigarettes or hand-roll tobacco to 0800 595000.