Duty not so free!

Tuesday 8th June 0500 and Nanette is on the radio as we drive to meet the coach that will take us across the channel for the day.
It was a good trip. Through the tunnel as scheduled 0920 and on French soil half an hour later. We sped down the motorway to the Belgian border where we stopped at Adinkerke. It's famous for a number of things including the war grave cemetary that you pass before reaching what's known as "Tobacco Road". There are dozens of shops all selling the same thing at the same prices - cigarettes and spirits. The driver warns us not to buy over the recommended limits. After parting with their cash the group dash through a shower and stow their goods on the overhead luggage shelf and off we go again. This time the destination is Euro-Citie, a massive shopping Mall right next door to the Shuttle terminus at Calais. We have two hours here and we went down to Tesco's. This one is different to the usual stores though - it sells only beers, wines and spirits. I found it by accident when I was looking to buy some pasta for a snack a few years ago. All the passengers had been told how many cases we could each by because of the weight restrictions on the coach especially as it was full. On returning to the coach park a few passengers had been made to wait because they'd bought goods without warning or asking the driver. Ours were loaded on board no hassle. At 1530 we set off round the corner to the terminal and after going through the usual paperwork checkpoints we arrived at the Customs building. I've done this trip many times and usually you just walk through, show your passport and get back on the bus. Ocassionally you're made to walk your tobacco purchases through with you and show proof of purchase. This was one such ocassion but coming out at the other end of the building we noticed that the coach had been moved about a hundred yards away to the inspection buildings. They were all over it and eventually removed wine boxes and large soap powder containers. We were to be told later that these were filled with tobacco that would have had a street value of around £40,000! Thinking it was all over after standing waiting for an hour, we were then informed that they were going to strip the bus and inspect every corner. Fortunately for us the weather was kind so we were an unwilling audience to what transpired next. More officials in their fluorescent waistcoats joined the others and were prodding inside the engine compartment at the rear of the vehicle. Then they were on all fours around the rear wheels and I could swear that a hand appeared from UNDERNEATH the bus. Then another hand - and finally a whole person emerged! He seemed to be of black African origin but who knows. Our group applauded as he was walked across the tarmac and he obligingly smiled back as though this were some kind of prank. I imagine he was handed over to the French authorities as that's the last we saw of him but for some of our passengers it was soon to be the end of the journey with us. Two men and a woman were taken from the group into the building and some time later emerged minus their carriers of tobacco which an officially walked away with. After we'd gone back through the tunnel to Folkstone, we were met by a Police car wnd instructed to follow it. In the town near the rail station they pulled us into a layby and the three were asked to leave the coach. As we drove off without them they were standing talking to the Police and we led to believe that they would have to make their own way back to Norwich. There din't appear to be any arrests made but I did hear that their passports will have been marked now so that they couldn't repeat this kind of excercise again. As for the rest of us? We were within our limits and had the benefit of saving a considerable sum of money on what we'd bought off our European neighbours!