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107-535: HM Customs and Excise (properly known as Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at the time of its dissolution) was a department of the British Government formed in 1909 by the merger of HM Customs and HM Excise ; its primary responsibility was the collection of customs duties , excise duties , and other indirect taxes . The payment of customs dues has been recorded in Britain for over one thousand years and HMCE

214-709: A Surveyor) within which were several Stations, each staffed by one or more Officers of Customs and Excise. In each Collection, the Stations were responsible for assessment of duty while the Collector's Office focused on collection of revenue. The Waterguard carried out preventive work; it worked closely alongside the Outdoor Service but was separately constituted with its own management structure and its own geographical 'Divisions'. After 1971, management structures were streamlined and unified, with Civil Service grades replacing

321-418: A WWII cost-cutting measure)). Prior to 1946, Chief Preventive Officers (CPO) wore two and a half gold stripes on their uniform while Preventive Officers (PO) had one stripe and Assistant Preventive Officers (APO) no stripe. After that date CPOs wore three stripes, POs two stripes and APOs one stripe. All uniformed grades wore a Navy curl ; CPOs were further distinguished by having a row of gold oak leaves on

428-743: A border oneself, for illegal immigration or illegal emigration. In many parts of the world, particularly the Gulf of Mexico , the smuggling vessel of choice is the go-fast boat . Submitting to border checks with the goods or people hidden in a vehicle or between (other) merchandise, or the goods hidden in luggage, in or under clothes, inside the body (see body cavity search , balloon swallower and mule ), etc. Many smugglers fly on regularly scheduled airlines . A large number of suspected smugglers are caught each year by customs worldwide. Goods and people are also smuggled across seas hidden in containers , and overland hidden in cars, trucks, and trains. A related topic

535-486: A challenge to state-sponsored restrictions or taxes on trade. In smuggling, concealment can involve concealing the smuggled goods on a person's clothing, luggage or inside a body cavity. Some smugglers hide the whole transportation vehicle or ship used to bring the items into an area. Avoiding border checks, such as by small ships, private airplanes , through overland smuggling routes, smuggling tunnels and even small submersibles. This also applies for illegally passing

642-483: A far longer history, the first written reference being found in an eighth-century charter of King Aethelbald . Following the 1707 Act of Union a separate Scottish Board of Customs and Scottish Excise Board were constituted; a century later separate boards were likewise established for Ireland. By an Act of Parliament dated 2 May 1823, these and the English Boards were consolidated to form a single Board of Excise and

749-502: A few central respects. While "smuggling" refers to facilitating the illegal entry of a person into a State, "trafficking" includes an element of exploitation . The trafficker retains control over the migrant—through force, fraud or coercion—typically in the sex industry, through forced labour or through other practices similar to slavery. Trafficking violates the idea of basic human rights . The overwhelming majority of those trafficked are women and children. These victims are commodities in

856-698: A good or service that is illegal or heavily taxed. As a result, illegal drug trafficking , and the smuggling of weapons ( illegal arms trade ), as well as the historical staples of smuggling, alcohol ( rum-running ) and tobacco , are widespread. As the smuggler faces significant risk of civil and criminal penalties if caught with contraband, smugglers are able to impose a significant price premium on smuggled goods. The profits involved in smuggling goods appear to be extensive. The iron law of prohibition dictates that greater enforcement results in more potent alcohol and drugs being smuggled. Profits also derive from avoiding taxes or levies on imported goods. For example,

963-561: A greater or lesser degree (for instance Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster or Lord Privy Seal ). The government is sometimes referred to by the metonym " Westminster " or " Whitehall ", as many of its offices are situated there. These metonyms are used especially by members of the Scottish Government , Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to differentiate their government from His Majesty's Government. The United Kingdom

1070-460: A kind of heroism. It did not have any taint of criminality and the whole of the south coast had pockets vying with one another over whose smugglers were the darkest or most daring. The Smugglers Inn was one of the commonest names for a bar on the coast. In North America , smuggling in colonial times was a reaction to the heavy taxes and regulations imposed by mercantilist trade policies. After American independence in 1783, smuggling developed at

1177-1020: A later time after slaughter. Another animal that traffickers have used as body couriers are goats , which they remove drugs from after slaughter. Additionally another animal that has been used by smugglers to transport contraband are sheep . Often times, the traffickers either attach the drugs to the sheep's wool or they insert the drugs inside the sheep to be removed at a later date after slaughter. What type of livestock or pack animals do organized criminals use to carry contraband, often depends on availability and region. For example, in parts of South America, traffickers have used llamas as pack animals to transport drugs across rugged terrain or across borders. In certain parts of Asia, elephants have been used as pack animals to carry large amounts of drugs across wilderness areas or across borders. In Middle Eastern countries, smugglers have also been known to use camels as pack animals to transport drugs across further distances or across borders. In popular perception smuggling

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1284-478: A member of either House of Parliament. In practice, however, the convention is that ministers must be members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords to be accountable to Parliament. From time to time, prime ministers appoint non-parliamentarians as ministers. In recent years such ministers have been appointed to the House of Lords. The government is required by convention and for practical reasons to maintain

1391-575: A mix of Investigation Officers and Higher Investigation Officers. Officers of the Waterguard had their own rank structure, namely: Assistant Preventive Officer (APO), Preventive Officer (PO) and Chief Preventive Officer (CPO); all these routinely wore uniform (see below). Higher grades were the Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent, neither of whom wore a uniform. After 1971 the Waterguard

1498-525: A multibillion-dollar global industry. Criminal organizations are choosing to traffic human beings because, unlike other commodities, people can be used repeatedly and because trafficking requires little in terms of capital investment. Smuggling is also reaping huge financial dividends to criminal groups who charge migrants massive fees for their services. Intelligence reports have noted that drug-traffickers and other criminal organizations are switching to human cargo to obtain greater profit with less risk. It

1605-480: A network providing forged documents. In the same month, they dismantled another criminal organization focused on supplying fake documents to migrants in Spain, primarily in the agricultural sector. With regard to people smuggling , a distinction can be made between people smuggling as a service to those wanting to illegally migrate and the involuntary trafficking of people . An estimated 90% of people who illegally crossed

1712-412: A new House of Commons, unless the prime minister advises the monarch to dissolve Parliament , in which case an election may be held sooner. After an election, the monarch selects as prime minister the leader of the party most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons, usually by possessing a majority of MPs. Under the uncodified British constitution , executive authority lies with

1819-513: A new corporate structure, which substantially remained in place until 1971. The new Board of Customs and Excise had oversight of three inter-linked branches, each with its own management structure: The Board of Customs and Excise was made up of eight Commissioners appointed by Letters Patent under the Great Seal and chaired by a Permanent Secretary . The Board was responsible to the Chancellor of

1926-413: A proper and complete inspection four to six hours, major global trade routes such as Singapore offer great opportunity for smugglers and traders alike. As the leading Cape Town Customs Official argues, if a shipping port stops and inspects every ship it would cause a total shipping grid lock , which is trade gridlock, which is also economic gridlock . By under-declaring and misrepresenting, even

2033-480: A recognised problem in the 13th century, following the creation of a national customs collection system by Edward I in 1275. Medieval smuggling tended to focus on the export of highly taxed export goods — notably wool and hides. Merchants also, however, sometimes smuggled other goods to circumvent prohibitions or embargoes on particular trades. Grain, for instance, was usually prohibited from export, unless prices were low, because of fears that grain exports would raise

2140-458: A significant part of the city's business, with many members of the civic elite engaging in it, whether by disguised/hidden transport or mis-description of goods. Grain smuggling by members of the civic elite, often working closely with corrupt customs officers, has also been shown to have been prevalent in East Anglia during the later 16th century. In England wool was smuggled to the continent in

2247-558: A single Board of Customs for the whole United Kingdom. These boards (and their successors) were made up of commissioners, appointed under the Great Seal of the Realm . Originally, the term customs meant any customary payments or dues of any kind (for example, to the king, or a bishop, or the church), but later became restricted to duties payable to the king on the import or export of goods. A centralised English customs system can be traced to

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2354-544: A smuggler might purchase a large quantity of cigarettes in a place with low taxes and smuggle them into a place with higher taxes, where they can be sold at a far higher margin than would otherwise be possible. It has been reported that smuggling one truckload of cigarettes within the United States can lead to a profit of US$ 2 million. In October 2023, Spanish police arrested 11 individuals involved in smuggling migrants hidden in trucks at Algeciras sea border, connected to

2461-457: A study by Alternatives to Combat Child Labour Through Education and Sustainable Services in the Middle East and North Africa Region (ACCESS-MENA) 30% of school children living in border villages of Yemen had been smuggled into Saudi Arabia . Child trafficking is commonly referenced as "transporting". Smuggled children were in danger of being sexually abused or even killed. Poverty is one of

2568-594: A substantial grant from the government, the Sovereign Support Grant , and Queen Elizabeth II's inheritance from her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , was exempt from inheritance tax . In addition to legislative powers, His Majesty's Government has substantial influence over local authorities and other bodies set up by it, through financial powers and grants. Many functions carried out by local authorities, such as paying out housing benefits and council tax benefits, are funded or substantially part-funded by

2675-512: A time, the Excise Board was also responsible for collecting the duty levied on imports of beverages such as rum, brandy and other spirits, as well as tea, coffee, chocolate and cocoa beans. Prior to payment of duty, these items were often stored in a bonded warehouse , where excise officers could assess and measure them. A Board of Excise was likewise established by the Long Parliament under

2782-477: A variety of other responsibilities over the years, some of which had nothing to do with revenue collection and protection. Many of these additional duties pertained to the regulation of activities in UK coastal waters on behalf of HM Government (not least because HMCE had customs officers stationed all around the UK coast). Thus at various times in the 20th century HMCE was involved in receiving, regulating or recording: In

2889-424: Is a constitutional monarchy in which the reigning monarch (that is, the king or queen who is the head of state at any given time) does not make any open political decisions. All political decisions are taken by the government and Parliament. This constitutional state of affairs is the result of a long history of constraining and reducing the political power of the monarch, beginning with Magna Carta in 1215. Since

2996-424: Is acknowledged that the smuggling of people is a growing global phenomenon. It is a transnational crime . Currently, economic instability appears to be the main reason for illegal migration movement throughout the world. Nevertheless, many of the willing migrants undertake the hazardous travel to their destination country with criminal syndicates specialized in people smuggling. These syndicates arrange everything for

3103-480: Is critically important as an incentive for smuggling. This price disparity is caused by domestic consumption-taxes and import duties. Drawing attention to the case of cigarettes, Chowdhury suggested that, in Bangladesh , smuggling of cigarettes reduced the level of domestic production. Domestic production of cigarettes is subject to value added tax (VAT) and other consumption tax . Reduction of domestic taxes enables

3210-454: Is defined as international trade through 'unauthorized route'. A seaport, airport or land port which has not been authorized by the government for importation and exportation is an 'unauthorized route'. The legal definition of these occurs in the Customs Act of the country. Notably, some definitions define any 'undeclared' trafficking of currency and precious metal as smuggling. Smuggling is

3317-496: Is due to the fact that felines are naturally stealthy animals and because the prison guards are often less likely to suspect that contraband might be on a cat. Additionally smugglers have also used homing pigeons to transport contraband by air at times. Carrier pigeons have been used to smuggle drugs into prisons and across borders. Additionally homing pigeons have also been used to transport cellphones and SIM cards into prisons. The reason why pigeons have been useful for smugglers,

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3424-551: Is illegally passing a border oneself as a stowaway . The high level of duty levied on alcohol and tobacco in Britain has led to large-scale smuggling from France to the UK through the Channel Tunnel . The combination of acknowledged corruption at the border and high import tariffs led smugglers in the 1970s and '80s to fly electronic equipment such as stereos and televisions in cargo planes from one country to clandestine landing strips in another, thereby circumventing encounters at

3531-596: Is not vital. A government is not required to resign even if it loses the confidence of the Lords and is defeated in key votes in that House. The House of Commons is thus the responsible house . The prime minister is held to account during Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) which provides an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the PM on any subject. There are also departmental questions when ministers answer questions relating to their specific departmental brief. Unlike PMQs, both

3638-416: Is synonymous with illegal trade. Even social scientists have misconstrued smuggling as illegal trade. While the two have indeed identical objectives, namely the evasion of taxes and the importation of contraband items, their demand and cost functions are altogether different requiring different analytical framework. As a result, illegal trade through customs stations is differently considered, and smuggling

3745-424: Is that they can fly for long distances and because the birds are usually unlikely to arouse much suspicion from authorities, due to the fact that pigeons are such widespread and commonly witnessed birds, in both rural and urban areas. Smugglers have also been known to transport contraband with the use of livestock . One such example is the use of horses , donkeys , mules and ponies . The traffickers often strap

3852-473: The Greater London Authority disputed. Similarly, the monarch is immune from criminal prosecution and may only be sued with his permission (this is known as sovereign immunity ). The sovereign, by law, is not required to pay income tax, but Queen Elizabeth II voluntarily paid it from 1993 until the end of her reign in 2022, and also paid local rates voluntarily. However, the monarchy also received

3959-648: The Irish Free State in 1922 gave the United Kingdom a land border, which also required customs checkpoints ; later, customs officers were needed at airports as well. As well as administering Customs declarations , HM Customs and Excise staff had responsibility for guarding the borders of the United Kingdom from smugglers . To try to achieve this, HMCE and its predecessors had a history of operating both on land and at sea. The historic headquarters of HM Customs

4066-542: The Roosevelt Reservation along the United States-Mexico Border . Smuggling revived in the 1920s during Prohibition , and drug smuggling became a major problem after 1970. In the 1990s, when economic sanctions were imposed on Serbia , a large percent of the population lived off smuggling petrol and consumer goods from neighboring countries. The state unofficially allowed this to continue or otherwise

4173-529: The Winchester Assize of Customs of 1203, in the reign of King John , from which time customs were to be collected and paid to the State Treasury. HM Customs was established on a more permanent basis with the passing of legislation in the reign of King Edward I : the nova custuma of 1275. Alongside the nova custuma (which was levied on exported wool and leather) duty was levied on imported goods; from

4280-463: The theft of the items being smuggled. Smuggling is a common theme in literature, from Bizet 's opera Carmen to the James Bond spy books (and later films) Diamonds Are Forever and Goldfinger . The verb smuggle , from Low German smuggeln or Dutch smokkelen (="to transport (goods) illegally"), apparently a frequentative formation of a word meaning "to sneak", most likely entered

4387-526: The "Excise Ordinance" of 1643 ( Ordinance for the speedy raising and levying of moneys by way of charge or impost upon several commodities ). After 1662 Excise revenue was farmed for the most part, until the Board was established on a permanent footing in 1683. In 1849 the Board of Excise was merged with the Board of Stamps and Taxes to create a new Board of Inland Revenue . The combined Board of Customs and Excise

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4494-562: The 14th century this became known as tonnage and poundage . A Board of Customs was effectively created by the Long Parliament on 21 January 1643 under the Ordinance concerning the Customs for the continuance of the ordinance of concerning the subsidy of Tonnage and Poundage from 1 March 1643, to 25 March 1644 . Under this act the regulation of the collection of customs was entrusted to a parliamentary committee; however in 1662 Parliament reverted to

4601-721: The 17th century, under the pressure of high excise taxes . In 1724 Daniel Defoe wrote of Lymington , Hampshire, on the south coast of England I do not find they have any foreign commerce, except it be what we call smuggling and roguing; which I may say, is the reigning commerce of all this part of the English coast, from the mouth of the Thames to the Land's End in Cornwall. The high rates of duty levied on tea and also wine and spirits, and other luxury goods coming in from mainland Europe at this time made

4708-597: The 1970s Customs & Excise officers were operating from around 2,000 offices located in all parts of the United Kingdom; they ranged in size from large regional centres to small outposts attached to distilleries and the like. Historically, the Board of Customs and the Board of Excise were (along with the General Post Office ) 'the only Crown Services organised on a country-wide basis'. Custom houses were to be found in all major ports of entry (as well as some smaller harbours). Excise Offices were located both around

4815-503: The Crown, who may use them without having to obtain the consent of Parliament. The prime minister also has weekly meetings with the monarch. What is said in these meetings is strictly private; however, they generally involve government and political matters which the monarch has a "right and a duty" to comment on. Such comments are non-binding however and the King must ultimately abide by decisions of

4922-478: The English language during the 1600s–1700s. Smuggling has a long and controversial history, probably dating back to the first time at which duties were imposed in any form, or any attempt was made to prohibit a form of traffic . Smuggling is often associated with efforts by authorities to prevent the importation of certain contraband items or non-taxed goods; however, there has also been smuggling based on illegally exporting goods. In England smuggling first became

5029-606: The European Parliament are immune from prosecution in EU states under any circumstance. As a consequence, neither EU bodies nor diplomats have to pay taxes, since it would not be possible to prosecute them for tax evasion. When the UK was a member of the EU, this caused a dispute when the US ambassador to the UK claimed that London's congestion charge was a tax, and not a charge (despite the name), and therefore he did not have to pay it—a claim

5136-460: The Exchequer for collecting and accounting for all customs and excise revenues and for 'the management of all matters belonging and incidental to such collection'. The Headquarters Staff had oversight of policy implementation and management, as well as providing central accounting, legal and administrative services; its operation was akin to that of a government department . The Outdoor Service

5243-693: The Preventive Water Guard was formed, independent of HM Customs, as a specialist service to combat smuggling. In 1822 it was brought together with the Riding Officers and Cutter service to form a new body (under the authority of HM Customs) named the Coast Guard . In 1856, however, authority over the Coast Guard was transferred from the Customs to the Admiralty . In 1891 a specialist Waterguard service

5350-747: The Second World War, however, the need for active vessels was again recognised and suitable craft were purchased from the Admiralty. By 1962 HMCE had four fast launches in service, crewed by officers of the Waterguard (many of whom had seen active service in the Royal Navy); by 1980 eight further vessels had been acquired. In the 21st century, a fleet of Customs Cutters (latterly 42 metre Damen patrol vessels) continued to operate throughout UK territorial waters inspecting vessels for Prohibited and restricted goods and increasingly immigration matters In 2005,

5457-453: The United Kingdom , officially His Majesty's Government , abbreviated to HM Government , is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . The government is led by the prime minister (currently Keir Starmer since 5 July 2024) who selects all the other ministers . The country has had a Labour government since 2024. The prime minister Keir Starmer and his most senior ministers belong to

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5564-503: The University of Bristol states that they only detail the activities of those dumb enough to get caught. This has led him and others, such as Prof. H. V. Bowen of the University of Swansea to use commercial records to reconstruct smuggling businesses. Jones' study focuses on smuggling in Bristol in the mid-16th century, arguing that the illicit export of goods like grain and leather represented

5671-407: The authorities. One way that smugglers have used animals to transport contraband at times is through the use of dogs . Often smugglers have been known to strap drugs onto the backs of canine and then use such dogs as pack animals to transport the contraband across further distances or across borders. Another way smugglers have used to transport contraband on multiple occasions is cats . Usually

5778-737: The border between Mexico and the United States are believed to have paid a smuggler to lead them across. People smuggling can be used to rescue a person from oppressive circumstances. For example, when the Southern United States allowed slavery , many slaves moved north via the Underground Railroad . Similarly, during the Holocaust , Jewish people were smuggled out of Germany by people such as Algoth Niska . Trafficking of human beings — sometimes called human trafficking or, in

5885-467: The border enforcement functions of HMCE were transferred (along with the organisation responsible for them) to HMRC; but in 2008 they were again transferred (at least in part) to the new UK Border Agency of the Home Office, which due to various failings was itself disbanded in 2012, whereupon a new UK Border Force was established with border enforcement responsibilities and powers. Historically, some of

5992-440: The cabinet ministers for the department and junior ministers within the department may answer on behalf of the government, depending on the topic of the question. During debates on legislation proposed by the government, ministers—usually with departmental responsibility for the bill —will lead the debate for the government and respond to points made by MPs or Lords. Committees of both the House of Commons and House of Lords hold

6099-570: The case of sexual services, sex trafficking — is not the same as people smuggling. A smuggler will facilitate illegal entry into a country for a fee, and on arrival at their destination, the smuggled person is free; the trafficking victim is coerced in some way. Victims do not agree to be trafficked; they are tricked, lured by false promises, or forced into it. Traffickers use coercive tactics including deception , fraud , intimidation , isolation , physical threats and use of force, debt bondage or even force-feeding drugs to control their victims. While

6206-526: The cats are used to sneak drugs into prisons , where prison gangs can then sell the drugs to other inmates. Often a smuggler from the outside will attach small amounts of drugs to a cat and then the cat will either be lured inside the prison by inmates with cat treats or the cat might be trained to enter the prison. In addition to drugs, cats have also been used to smuggle other kinds of contraband into prison such as cellphones , tools, batteries and phone chargers. The reason why cats can make good drug couriers

6313-418: The central government. Smugglers There are various motivations to smuggle. These include the participation in illegal trade, such as in the drug trade , illegal weapons trade , prostitution , human trafficking , kidnapping , heists , chop shops , illegal immigration or illegal emigration , tax evasion , import restrictions , export restrictions , providing contraband to prison inmates, or

6420-411: The charity commissions) are legally more or less independent of the government, and government powers are legally limited to those retained by the Crown under common law or granted and limited by act of Parliament. Both substantive and procedural limitations are enforceable in the courts by judicial review . Nevertheless, magistrates and mayors can still be arrested and put on trial for corruption, and

6527-414: The cheapest possible rate. What the majority of people do not realize, is that the media and popular culture focus on criminal organizations as primary smugglers, but in reality legitimate businesses are the biggest offenders. By incorporating their label on merchandise or products, it leaves bias towards their goods as the popular media portrays them as reliable. Smuggling, however, is produced through

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6634-462: The clandestine import of such goods and the evasion of the duty a highly profitable venture for impoverished fishermen and seafarers. In certain parts of the country such as the Romney Marsh , East Kent , Cornwall and East Cleveland , the smuggling industry was for many communities more economically significant than legal activities such as farming and fishing. The principal reason for the high duty

6741-473: The coast and inland (in former centuries, every market town in England had a designated Excise Office, albeit not permanently staffed; often a room in a local inn would be adapted for the purpose when required). The nation's borders were the prime location for much of HMCE's work. Before the 20th century the UK's only border was its coastline and customs activity was focused around the coast. The establishment of

6848-436: The confidence of the House of Commons. It requires the support of the House of Commons for the maintenance of supply (by voting through the government's budgets) and to pass primary legislation . By convention, if a government loses the confidence of the House of Commons it must either resign or a general election is held. The support of the Lords, while useful to the government in getting its legislation passed without delay,

6955-528: The cost of smuggling and thus render smuggling uncompetitive. Notably, Chowdhury modeled the relationship of the smuggler to the local producer as one of antagonistic duopoly . On the other hand, research by Tat Chee Tsui in 2016 suggests that even if increasing cigarette duty may encourage smuggling, total cigarette-consumption still declines because the price of illicit goods, as substitutes of taxed cigarettes, also increases because of higher tax rate. One economic view sees smuggling as monopoly -busting - as

7062-546: The demand for exotic species and the lucrative nature of the trade. The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulates the movement of endangered wildlife across political borders. Research on smuggling as economic phenomenon is scant. Jagdish Bhagwati and Bent Hansen first forwarded a theory of smuggling in which they saw smuggling essentially as an import-substituting economic activity. Their main consideration, however,

7169-424: The drugs or the drugs are surgically implanted inside the animals before they are herded to another destination, at a later date when the animals are slaughtered for their meat , the drugs are then removed and given to associates. One such example is the use of cattle . Cattle have been used as 'body couriers' to transport contraband in multiple ways, often by inserting the drugs into the cattle, to be removed at

7276-539: The edges of the United States at places like Passamaquoddy Bay , St. Mary's in Georgia , Lake Champlain , and Louisiana . During Thomas Jefferson 's embargo of 1807-1809 , these same places became the primary places where goods were smuggled out of the nation in defiance of the law. Like Britain, a gradual liberalization of trade laws as part of the free trade movement meant less smuggling. in 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt tried to cut down on smuggling by establishing

7383-444: The entire economy would have collapsed. In modern times, as many first-world countries have struggled to contain a rising influx of immigrants, the smuggling of people across national borders has become a lucrative extra-legal activity, as well as the extremely dark side, people-trafficking, especially of women who may be enslaved typically as prostitutes. Much smuggling occurs when enterprising merchants attempt to supply demand for

7490-409: The exchequer to be a member of the House of Lords was Lord Denman , who served for one month in 1834. The British monarch is the head of state and the sovereign , but not the head of government . The monarch takes little direct part in governing the country and remains neutral in political affairs. However, the authority of the state that is vested in the sovereign, known as the Crown , remains

7597-496: The farming system, until a permanent Board was finally established in 1671. His or Her Majesty's Excise duties are inland duties levied on articles at the time of their manufacture, such as alcoholic drinks and tobacco . Excise duties were first levied in England in 1643, during the Commonwealth (initially on beer, cider, spirits and soap); later, duties were levied on such diverse commodities as salt , paper and bricks . For

7704-432: The frontier between countries. For illegally passing a border oneself, another method is with a false passport (completely fake, or illegally changed, or the passport of a lookalike). At Border checkpoints , especially for shipping cargo, Border agents must inspect cargo for smuggled and illegal goods. However, because of what is called Gridlock a maximum of 5% inspections per cargo holds worldwide. Since it can take

7811-525: The government has powers to insert commissioners into a local authority to oversee its work, and to issue directives that must be obeyed by the local authority if the local authority is not abiding by its statutory obligations. By contrast, as in European Union (EU) member states, EU officials cannot be prosecuted for any actions carried out in pursuit of their official duties, and foreign country diplomats (though not their employees) and foreign members of

7918-755: The government on the statement. When the government instead chooses to make announcements first outside Parliament, it is often the subject of significant criticism from MPs and the speaker of the House of Commons . The prime minister is based at 10 Downing Street in Westminster , London. Cabinet meetings also take place here. Most government departments have their headquarters nearby in Whitehall . The government's powers include general executive and statutory powers , delegated legislation , and numerous powers of appointment and patronage. However, some powerful officials and bodies, (e.g. HM judges, local authorities , and

8025-477: The government to account, scrutinise its work and examine in detail proposals for legislation. Ministers appear before committees to give evidence and answer questions. Government ministers are also required by convention and the Ministerial Code , when Parliament is sitting, to make major statements regarding government policy or issues of national importance to Parliament. This allows MPs or Lords to question

8132-514: The government. Royal prerogative powers include, but are not limited to, the following: While no formal documents set out the prerogatives, the government published the above list in October 2003 to increase transparency, as some of the powers exercised in the name of the monarch are part of the royal prerogative . However, the complete extent of the royal prerogative powers has never been fully set out, as many of them originated in ancient custom and

8239-433: The illicit goods to the packhorses pack saddle , so that the animal can carry more loads of contraband further and across more rugged terrain then a human courier. In addition to Packhorses, Smugglers have also been known to transport contraband with the use of horse-drawn vehicles . Additionally there are also livestock that smugglers have used as living body couriers, in such instances the animals are either made to swallow

8346-427: The local producer to supply at a lower cost and bring down the price disparity that encourages smuggling. However, Chowdhury suggested that there is a limit beyond which reducing domestic taxes on production cannot confer a competitive advantage versus smuggled cigarettes. Therefore, government needs to upscale its anti-smuggling drive so that seizures (taking possession of person or property by legal process) can add to

8453-435: The majority of victims are women, and sometimes children, other victims include men, women and children forced or conned into manual or cheap labor. Due to the illegal nature of trafficking, the exact extent is unknown. A U.S. government report published in 2003 estimates that 800,000-900,000 people worldwide are trafficked across borders each year. This figure does not include those who are trafficked internally. According to

8560-540: The measurement of containers or the specific gravity of alcohol. HMCE was responsible for managing the import and export of goods and services into the UK; as such, its officers were active in the detection and prevention of attempts to evade the revenue laws, for example through smuggling or illicit distillation of alcohol . Since the early 17th century, the searching of vessels for illicit goods when undertaken by customs officers has been called 'rummaging'. For various reasons HMCE and its predecessors had accrued

8667-455: The merger with Inland revenue. The uniform worn by officers of the Waterguard was identical to Royal Navy officers’ uniform with the exception of the cap badge (a crowned portcullis with flying chains), buttons (a crown rather than the fouled anchor ) and the cuff rank lace (which only extended halfway round the cuff, rather than full cuff as in the Royal Navy (this possibly believed to be

8774-592: The merger would go ahead, and the merged body ( HM Revenue and Customs ) was implemented by the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 . For centuries, combatting smuggling had been part of the job of revenue officers. In the late 17th century, a concerted effort was made to combat this growing problem; land-based Riding Officers were employed to patrol the coast on horseback, while Revenue cutters were provided to enable officers to intercept vessels involved in smuggling at sea. In 1809 an organisation called

8881-465: The mid-twentieth century to combat fraud and drug smuggling , the Investigation Division was headed by a Chief Investigation Officer, equivalent in rank to a Collector, assisted by a Deputy Chief Investigation Officer and a number of Assistant Chief Investigation Officers. Each team of, usually, six was headed by a Senior Investigation Officer (equivalent to a Surveyor or SEO) and consisted of

8988-465: The migrants, but at a high price. Very often the traveling conditions are inhumane: the migrants are overcrowded in trucks or boats and fatal accidents occur frequently. After their arrival in the destination country, their illegal status puts them at the mercy of their smugglers, which often force the migrants to work for years in the illegal labor market to pay off the debts incurred as a result of their transportation. Wildlife smuggling results from

9095-1060: The more well-known figures to have served as Customs officers or Excise men are Robert Burns , Geoffrey Chaucer , William Congreve , Daniel Defoe , John Dryden , Thomas Paine and Adam Smith . Other literary figures included William Allingham , John Oldmixon , Matthew Prior and Maurice Walsh . A number of senior officers in London went on to serve as Lord Mayor , including Sir Nicholas Brembre , Sir William Walworth and Sir Richard ('Dick') Whittington . Pathé Newsreels : British Government King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The government of

9202-506: The most surprising goods is common practice when smuggling. What popular culture does not communicate, is that illegal drugs and arms are not the bane of customs officers and the ultimate threat to their economy. In reality, the most commonly smuggled items are everyday items one believes to be common and thus causes higher losses in tax revenue . An anonymous shipping agent said that smuggling becomes second nature to businessmen, taking finished products and misrepresenting them to offer

9309-453: The newly built King's Beam House in Mark Lane . (The damaged section of London's Custom House was later rebuilt and the building remained in use by HM Revenue and Customs until 2021.) In 1987 the headquarters staff moved again to New King's Beam House 22 Upper Ground London SE1 in the area of Southwark . The 1909 amalgamation of the (previously separate) Customs and Excise services required

9416-470: The peak of the cap. After 1971 the same uniform was adopted by uniformed officers of the Preventive Service. The Board of Customs, responsible for collecting duties levied on imported goods, and the Board of Excise, responsible for raising revenue from inland taxes, were both established in the 17th century. The raising of excise duties also dates from this time, but the levying of customs duties has

9523-433: The period of absolute monarchy , or were modified by later constitutional practice. As of 2019, there are around 120 government ministers supported by 560,000 civil servants and other staff working in the 24 ministerial departments and their executive agencies . There are also an additional 20 non-ministerial departments with a range of further responsibilities. In theory, a government minister does not have to be

9630-568: The previous disparate ranking structures in most areas. At the same time the Waterguard ceased to operate as a separate body, although uniformed customs officers continued to be involved in preventive work. The majority of the Headquarters staff belonged to the Civil Service grades (generally clerical, executive, and secretariat). The main grades in the outfield were: clerical staff, Officer of C&E, Allowanced Officer of C&E (the allowance

9737-485: The price of food in England and thus cause food shortages and civil unrest. Following the loss of Gascony to the French in 1453, imports of wine were also sometimes embargoed during wars to try to deprive the French of the revenues that could be earned from their main export. Most studies of historical smuggling have been based on official sources — such as court records, or the letters of Revenue Officers. A senior academic of

9844-724: The reasons behind child trafficking and some children are smuggled with their parents' consent via a transporter. As many as 50% of those smuggled are children. In the Philippines, between 60,000 and 100,000 children are trafficked to work in the sex industry. Each year, hundreds of thousands of migrants are moved illegally by highly organized international smuggling and trafficking groups , often in dangerous or inhumane conditions. This phenomenon has been growing in recent years as people of low income countries are aspiring to enter developed countries in search of jobs. Migrant smuggling and human trafficking are two separate offences and differ in

9951-465: The same shipment. MCC shipments were frequently associated with Phase II and Phase III smuggling organizations . In addition to human couriers, smugglers have been known to transport illicit goods with the use of trained animals . One advantage to smugglers using animals is that unlike human couriers, who might turn state's evidence if caught, an animal courier, if caught with any contraband on them, would be unable to provide any verbal information to

10058-433: The source of executive power exercised by the government. In addition to explicit statutory authority , the Crown also possesses a body of powers in certain matters collectively known as the royal prerogative . These powers range from the authority to issue or withdraw passports to declarations of war. By long-standing convention, most of these powers are delegated from the sovereign to various ministers or other officers of

10165-642: The sovereign, although this authority is exercised only after receiving the advice of the Privy Council . The prime minister, the House of Lords, the Leader of the Opposition, and the police and military high command serve as members and advisers of the monarch on the Privy Council. In most cases the cabinet exercise power directly as leaders of the government departments , though some Cabinet positions are sinecures to

10272-400: The start of Edward VII 's reign in 1901, by convention, the prime minister has been an elected member of Parliament (MP) and thus answerable to the House of Commons, although there were two weeks in 1963 when Alec Douglas-Home was first a member of the House of Lords and then of neither house. A similar convention applies to the position of chancellor of the exchequer . The last chancellor of

10379-572: The supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet . Ministers of the Crown are responsible to the House in which they sit; they make statements in that House and take questions from members of that House. For most senior ministers this is usually the elected House of Commons rather than the House of Lords . The government is dependent on Parliament to make primary legislation , and general elections are held every five years (at most) to elect

10486-537: The very culture of the shipping industry and is affected by institutionalized tariffs and taxes around the world. The existence of the Multi-Consignment Contraband (MCC) smuggling method (smuggling two or more different types of contraband such as drugs and illegal immigrants or drugs and guns at the same time) was verified following the completion of a study that found 16 documented cases of smugglers transporting more than one type of contraband in

10593-416: Was divided into geographical areas called Collections, each overseen by a Collector (a senior official who acted as the Board's representative). Initially there were ninety-two Collections (formed by merging the previously separate Customs Collections and Excise Collections) but these were later reduced: to thirty-nine by 1930, twenty-nine by 1971. The Collections were subdivided into Districts (each overseen by

10700-442: Was for taking on certain administrative duties e.g. rostering), Surveyor of C&E – all of which were at 'district' level and then Assistant Collector, Deputy Collector and Collector (regional management). The regions of London Port and Liverpool (later 'London Airports' was added) were graded as slightly higher than the others. All grades were amalgamated and incorporated into the general Civil Service grades in 1971. Established in

10807-928: Was formed from predecessor bodies with a long history. With effect from 18 April 2005, HMCE merged with the Inland Revenue (which was responsible for the administration and collection of direct taxes ) to form a new department: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The three main functions of HMCE were revenue collection , assessment and preventive work , alongside which other duties were performed. On behalf of HM Treasury , officers of HM Customs and Excise levied customs duties , excise duties , and other indirect taxes (such as Air Passenger Duty , Climate Change Levy , Insurance Premium Tax , Landfill Tax , Purchase Tax and Value-added tax (VAT) ). Officers spent significant amounts of time in docks, warehouses and depots and on board newly arrived ships assessing dutiable goods and cargoes. Specialist tools were provided e.g. for

10914-483: Was formed in 1909 by the transfer of responsibility for Excise from the Board of Inland Revenue to the Board of Customs. HM Customs and Excise was not responsible for collecting direct taxes: that was the job of the Inland Revenue. In March 2004, the O'Donnell review called for the merger of Customs and Excise with Inland Revenue; in the 2004 Budget , Gordon Brown , the Chancellor of the Exchequer , announced that

11021-623: Was re-established within HM Customs, dedicated to rummaging vessels and combatting smuggling. Following the transfer of the Coastguard to the Admiralty, HM Customs had found itself bereft of sea-going vessels. For the first part of the twentieth century, HMCE made do with a single revenue cruiser, the Vigilant (which served more as a flagship for the Commissioners than as a practical deterrent). After

11128-433: Was renamed the Preventive Service and integrated into the main structure of HMCE. POs were renamed Executive Officers (Preventive) and APOs Assistant Officers (Preventive) . Customs & Excise officers had authority throughout the country, including the powers of entry to premises and of arrest (though at times requiring the presence of a police constable). HMCE had an overall headcount of 23,000 staff in 2004 before

11235-617: Was the Custom House on Lower Thames Street in the City of London . This went on to become the headquarters of HMCE when the Excise head office moved there from Somerset House in 1909. Later, however, the Commissioners along with most of the headquarters staff were forced to move out after the building was damaged in a bombing raid in December 1940. They moved initially to Finsbury Square , then in 1952 to

11342-493: Was the need for the government to finance a number of extremely expensive wars with France and the United States. Before the era of drug smuggling and human trafficking, smuggling had acquired a kind of nostalgic romanticism, in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson 's Kidnapped : Few places on the British coast did not claim to be the haunts of wreckers or mooncussers. The thievery was boasted about and romanticized until it seemed

11449-418: Was the welfare implications of smuggling. Against common belief that the private sector is more efficient than the public sector , they showed that smuggling might not enhance social welfare though it may divert resources from governments to the private sector. In contrast, Faizul Latif Chowdhury , in 1999, suggested a production-substituting model of smuggling in which price disparity due to cost of supply

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