Customs officers seize wine and beer from wholesaler

Around 4,200 cases of beer and 3,000 cases of wine, which included popular brands such as Tennents, Carlsberg, Holsten Pils, Echo Falls and Budweiser, were to be sold without the duty being paid. The lost duty from the amount of alcohol seized is estimated at 79,000.

Stephen Charlton, senior officer for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), said: "We have teams operating across South Yorkshire who are committed to stopping those dealing in illicit alcohol.

"Our officers will seize suspect goods and individuals may face criminal prosecution.

"We ask local people to work closely with us in this fight against crime and would encourage anyone who is aware of illicit alcohol to contact our customs hotline on 0800 595000."

While the amount of illegal goods found in Barnsley is sizeable, far larger raids have taken place in South Yorkshire in the past. In April last year, officials from HMRC seized more than 10 million illegal cigarettes after they used cutting equipment to gain access to storage containers at warehouses in Sheffield.

Specialist firefighters were called in by the customs officers to assist in the operation on industrial premises in the Brightside and Attercliffe areas.

The cigarettes, which were a mix of counterfeits and illegally-imported duty free products, were found in a series of locked containers.

The HMRC said at the time that the massive haul of cigarettes was thought to be worth more than 2.5m in lost duty. They added that counterfeit cigarettes often contain harmful chemicals.