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The Waterguard v The Smugglers |
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The Waterguard's main job throughout its existence was the prevention and detection of smuggling whether by passengers, light aircraft and boat owners or by crew members. This has often meant hard physical and mental labour on the part of the Waterguard officer to counter a 'canny' opponent. The image on the right - taken from E Keble Chatterton's book 'The Fine Art of Smuggling: King's Cutters vs Smugglers: 1700-1855 - shows some of the methods of concealment used both within and without vessels.
Regardless of the legislation or regulations the smuggler has sought to contravene, be it revenue evasion, a prohibition or a restriction on importation, the smugglers' methods have remained mainly the same.
Smuggling by the individuals mentioned below and described as 'on the person' normally indicates having the goods in the pockets of any clothing being worn or concealed in specially constructed pockets in hidden under garments. Smuggling by the individuals mentioned below and described as 'within the person' indicates the goods have been inserted into one or more body 'cavities' - referred to nowadays as 'stuffing and swallowing'. |
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In 1783 George Bishop wrote a booklet entitled 'Observations, Remarks and Means to Prevent Smuggling' addressed to 'The Rt. Honorable the House of Peers and The Honorable House of Commons in Parliament Assembled'. Select the 'button' on the right to view this booklet in full. |
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Select the 'button' on the right for a PDF copy of 'Modern Smuggling and its Detection' in full |
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In October 1937 a new version of the booklet, entitled 'Notes On Smuggling And Its Detection' was issued by the Office of the Inspector General of Waterguard. Select the 'button' on the right to view a PDF copy of Notes On Smuggling And Its Detection |
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Smuggling was still a problem at Milford Haven in March 1964 as this letter from a disgruntled member of the public to the Head of Office, HM Customs & Excise London shows. Select the 'button' on the right to see it. |
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When reported seizures involved new or ingenious methods of concealment, the IGW's office advised Waterguard stations by means of Smuggling Circulars and 'Copycats'. Some of these circulars and 'Copycats' can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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Smuggling by aircrew fell into 4 categories - on or within the person, in his or her portable luggage, by post or by concealment on the aircraft for retrieval after Customs clearance. Due to the complexity and critical nature of the airframe and an aircraft's equipment and controls, the scope and space for concealment was limited.
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Army gunners on merchant vessels during World War II had access to duty free goods - such as ship's stores - but were not in possession of ready cash on arrival in a UK port. This led to the goods not being declared on the crew declaration form. Special arrangements were made and promulgated by General Order No 32/1942 which can be viewed by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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A concealment of jewellry found in a 'cut-out' in a book in the crew's library. |
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Smuggling in the post can either be by a foreign resident posting contraband goods to a UK address or by a UK resident returning as a passenger or crew member and posting the contraband goods in advance of travel. Such activities were often discovered by Waterguard officers whilst examining passengers' baggage - passengers, especially women passengers, were loath to discard boxes, receipts and guarantees!
Smuggling by passengers has always been limited in quantity by the size or weight restrictions imposed by the carrier, but has been unlimited in the value of the goods themselves. The passengers' methods fall into 5 categories - on or within the person, in portable luggage, in 'follow on' baggage, in any accompanied vehicles or by post.
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Vehicles themselves can be the subject of a smuggling attempt but were often used by their owners or passengers as a 'concealment space' for a smuggling attempt. Omnibus Weekly Order 13/1952 described the action to be taken when vehicles were used for smuggling. The OWO can be seen by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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In May 1952 the Inspector General of Waterguard's office issued a booklet entitled 'Notes on smuggling by means of Motor Cars and its detection' for the guidance of Waterguard officers, specially those 'who may be unfamiliar with motor vehicles'. The booklet was not intended for general issue as an instruction book but every officer was given an opportunity of perusing it, and a copy was kept on each station where imported or exported cars were dealt with by Waterguard officers. A second booklet, entitled Appendix B of the same series was published the following year containing additional material described as 'illustrations and details of concealments of contraband that have been detected by continental Customs officials'. Both of these booklets, which include diagrams showing some concealment spaces, can be seen by selecting the 'buttons' on the right. |
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The photographs below show especially constructed concealment spaces in an Austin 2200 c1980 |
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Smuggling by ships crew falls into 7 categories - on or within the person, in his or her portable luggage, by post, by concealment within his or her cabin, by concealment within his or her workspaces aboard the vessel, in the cargo spaces and concealed within the fabric of the vessel for retrieval after Customs clearance. Due to the size of the spaces involved on board ships the scope and space for concealment can be enormous.
The photographs below show especially constructed concealment spaces in the lining of a ships cabin. PJ Wadley, APO, was rummaging cabin B29, in the charge of a George William Cull, on RMS 'Pendennis Castle' at Southampton when he removed the beading from the edge of the portole cavity enabling him to inspect the space between the cabin lining and the outer hull.
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Inside there was a layer of planks which had not been present in similar cabins. Immediately below the porthole was a heater fixed to the wall. When it was removed, it was found that a section of the wall lining had been cut out and Inside were a number of cartons of cigarettes. |
The 'PO' in charge of the rummage crew directed that other cabins under Cull's care should be examined. It was found that in two others B23 - above, |
and B35 - above - the wall cavity had been similarly used to conceal contraband. |
Cull was brought to trial at Southampton Magistrates' Court on 14 August 1970 and charged with attempting to smuggle 42,000 cigarettes, 39 bottles of spirits and 2 bottles of wine. He was fined £1,000 and given a 6 months suspended prison sentence.
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Fred W Stephen, an officer in Belfast during the early 1970's, became concerned that staff were unable to recognise vessels plying their trade around the coast of Northern Ireland causeing a few headaches for Waterguard staff. The sketches were a help to rummage crews who often 'coast watched' at weekends when foreign vessels were often seen coopering to fishing vessels off the coast. Some of Fred's sketches can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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Details and pictures of goods seized by Waterguard officers as liable to forfeiture can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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