A new permanent gallery is opening at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool, exploring the role of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
Recapturing the essence of its popular predecessor the Customs & Excise Museum, Seized! Revenue & Customs Uncovered opens to the public on Saturday 17 May 2008, as the national museum of the government department HMRC.
The only one of its kind in Britain, it gives visitors the opportunity to explore the fascinating and controversial world of HMRC in ensuring our way of life is fair, safe, civilised and protected. Visitors can expect to see a variety of objects on display for the first time. Highlighting all manner of weird and wonderful attempts at smuggling and tax evasion, ranging from the bizarre to the chilling, exhibits are designed to encourage visitors to react and reflect on provocative issues that affect modern society.
An emotive display of tourist souvenirs have been seized under CITES – the convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – for being made from endangered species, and the gallery has two not previously displayed critically endangered Lear’s Macaw specimens, seized from a Yorkshire farmer who illegally bred them in captivity.
A counterfeit Barbie scooter highlights the dangers of buying fakes abroad and even goods on the internet should be bought with caution, as imitations are not safety tested and can develop potentially serious faults.
The exhibition focuses on the detective work of the customs officers, patrolling frontiers and borders to catch criminals who try to enter the country with smuggled goods. A range of seized items are on show, revealing the lengths smugglers go to to get through customs undiscovered. On display are carved African statues and garden gnomes which were used to conceal drugs, and one display shows how the human body can be scanned to reveal cocaine-filled condoms in a smuggler’s stomach.
Weapons smuggling is a major cause of concern in the modern world, and a chilling collection of weapons includes guns, martial arts devices, daggers and plastic stealth knives intended not to show up on security scanners are on display.
A large steel girder, part of a seizure of 32, filled with cigarettes at a street value of ?2 million pounds shows visitors that sophisticated smugglers often carry out activities on a large scale.
Other highlights include the history of taxes and their sometimes controversial purposes, funding areas such as war and defense and public services including health and police.
Tony Tibbles, director of Merseyside Maritime Museum says: “We are very pleased to open this new gallery, which will build on the success of the former Customs and Excise museum in giving visitors the opportunity to explore the fascinating and controversial world of HMRC. The gallery is a great resource in educating people of all ages on revenue and customs from the historical to the present, and the range of exhibits and interactive activities featured will engage young and old minds alike.”
Hands-on activities include an interactive console allowing visitors to control their own Cutter to help catch professional smugglers, which has been specially designed for Seized! These fast and powerful vessels use high-tech equipment to guard the coastlines of Britain, intercepting smugglers trying to sneak goods such as drugs into the country.
Another section explores the adulteration of food and drink revealing that substances such as excrement and hedge clippings have been added to tea and coffee in a bid to boost profits.
There will also be opportunities for children to take part in ‘rummaging’, searching a replica ship’s cabin to locate smuggled goods; a job that is still an important part of a Customs Officer’s work.
Simon MacDowall, director of communications and marketing for HMRC says: “Supported by historical facts and a wealth of exhibits, Seized! challenges visitors’ modern-day perceptions of Revenue and Customs, by providing an enjoyable and engaging environment in which to learn about a subject which affects us all. We are extremely pleased with the finished product, and have enjoyed working with National Museums Liverpool to create such a revealing and inspiring new attraction at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.” -- www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
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