TEN people from addresses in the London, Essex and Dorset areas were arrested by HM Revenue & Customs officers early yesterday morning in connection with a suspected multi million pound excise and money laundering fraud.

‘Alcohol Diversion’ fraud is a sophisticated organised criminal attack on the excise duty system where bonded alcohol products are diverted onto the UK home market.

Over 100 HMRC criminal investigators executed 13 search warrants at business and domestic addresses in London, Dartford, Hornchurch, Wanstead, Rayleigh, Shoeburyness, Bournemouth and Christchurch and overseas. Nine men and one woman were arrested in the operation.

Steve Baker, HMRC Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation, said: "Organised criminals are attacking the tax system, with the aim of stealing huge amounts of revenue.

"This operation is part of a large scale, criminal investigation into a fraud that may have cost the country up to £50 million per year.

"We are committed to tackling excise fraud and to showing the criminals behind it that there are no safe havens. We will pursue them, and the money they steal, wherever they operate in the world.”

The ten people arrested are being interviewed by HMRC investigators and enquiries are continuing.

Large quantities of alcohol have been detained.

Approximately £100,000 in cash has been recovered from an address in Bournemouth.