A LORRY driver has hit out after being labelled a smuggler by French customs officials who subjected him to a harrowing ordeal over 2kg of tobacco.
John Erskine, from Armadale, was on his way home through France after a delivery in Spanish capital Madrid when he was pulled over by customs officers at a service station in Nantes.
The French officials demanded to search his lorry and when they
found nothing out of the ordinary, asked if he had any cigarettes.
Mr Erskine told them he had 1000 cigarettes, well below the 3200 limit permitted in EU countries, for his own use which he had bought on the ferry over to Spain.
But he also had 5kg of rolling tobacco – only 2kg over the legal limit anyone is allowed to bring home – which prompted the French officers to say he was smuggling.
"They told me I was getting a 250 euros on-the-spot fine for carrying the tobacco, but I only had 100 euros on me at the time," said the 58-year-old, who suffered a stroke two years ago.
"They forced me to go with them to a cash machine in their car to get the rest of the money, but my card is not set up to be used abroad yet so I couldn't get it.
"They then took me to another bank where the same thing happened. They even marched me into the bank and asked the clerk to give me the cash, but she refused.
"They took my 100 euros, leaving me with no money at all, but I didn't get any paperwork from them so it makes me wonder whether it is legal or not.
"No one can give me a straight answer on this and I'm scared I will be prosecuted again because I'm making the exact same trip in December.
"I've seen customs officials with machine guns in France release the asylum seekers they catch without any charge, so why did they treat me like this for just 2kg of rolling tobacco?"
The driver contacted his local councillor, Isabel Hutton, when he arrived home to complain about the treatment he received.
She said: "I listened with an increasing sense of anger during Mr Erskine's visit to my surgery, where this matter was first brought to my attention.
"I also realised from my discussion that this is a far wider issue for all truck drivers from Scotland and the rest of the British Isles, and that is why I contacted Alyn Smith MEP to seek his assistance at the highest level in Europe.
"Our truck drivers should be able to go about their business without fear of harassment and intimidation."
Mr Smith has now raised the matter with Herve Bouche, the French Consul General, to get answers about Mr Erskine's treatment.
He said: "I have raised this matter with the French Consul General as, after consulting with the Road Haulage Association, apparently they are inundated with complaints from hauliers regarding the conduct of foreign customs officers.
"I have been advised that Mr Erskine was open and co-operative with the customs officers, yet they saw fit to frog-march him to the nearest cash machine to demand the 250 euros fine.
"To be honest, this is by no means the best way to foster good relations if our hauliers are afraid to purchase goods on the continent for fear of being fined."
Tourists are legally allowed to bring home 3200 cigarettes, 200 cigars, 3kg of rolling tobacco and 400 cigarillos from EU countries.
The full article contains 602 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
