An enormous haul of cigarettes believed to be counterfeit and worth an estimated street value of £50,000 has been confiscated from a driver on the A90.
A 45-year-old man has been charged after he was found behind the wheel of a grey Jaguar XF on the Dundee to Aberdeen road, close to Stonehaven.
Officers, acting on a tip-off, swooped at around 5.10pm on Sunday.
Last night an HM Revenue and Customs spokesman revealed suspect tobacco had been recovered.
The spokesman said: “HMRC Officers, working with Police Scotland, have seized an estimated £50,000 worth of cigarettes, which we suspect are illegal, from a car on the A90 near Stonehaven.
“A 45-year-old man has been charged under section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
“HMRC is working hard to counter illicit tobacco, which costs the UK around £2billion a year in lost revenue.
“Anyone who suspects cigarettes or tobacco is being illegally produced, smuggled or sold can help us by calling the customs hotline on 0800 59 5000.”
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Acting on intelligence provided, officers stopped a vehicle travelling up the A90 which was believed to be involved in the transport of illegal substances.
“Upon searching the vehicle a large amount of counterfeit cigarettes were seized and the driver was brought into custody.”