‘£37k salmon scam left me feeling sick’ – Suffolk smokehouse boss

Mr Swales decided to drive to the delivery point in London only to be confronted with a “really shady” site with “guard dogs and lots of people in black”.

“At the back of this yard was a pair of knackered old shipping containers and at that point I thought ‘that’s clearly where the salmon has gone’,” he added.

“We’re only insured for theft from our units and our van so we’ve just got to take the financial hit – the actual loss to the business is about £28,500.”

In addition to the financial implications the scam had on the business, Mr Swales said he was worried about the health risks posed to those who consume the salmon.

He added: “My branded product is out there in the black market and I have no control over where it is.

“Smoked salmon is a high-risk product and if you serve smoked salmon that has not been stored properly or defrosted correctly you can make people seriously ill.

“I don’t think this is being sold in the UK – this is part of a much larger operation that is smuggling high end food stocks abroad.

“Someone has to be turning a blind eye to this.”