Seven men who attempted to steal almost £760,000 in tax by selling illegal cigarettes, were jailed this week at Manchester Crown Court.
The men, one of whom is from Swinton, were linked to the crime after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) uncovered their central storage unit in Bolton and caught some of the gang there in April 2014.
Details of the fraudsters sentenced on 21 and 22 July 2016:
- Paul Keane, dob 23/03/65, unemployed, of Dorchester Road, Swinton, was sentenced to 16 months jail. Keane was employed by the gang to unpack smuggled cigarettes from concealments and re-box them at the unit for onward distribution.
- Munaf Patel, dob 13/07/69, a service station attendant, of Blackburn Rd, Bolton, was sentenced to 12 months jail. Patel acted as a sales broker dealing with the suppliers and finding customers for the smuggled cigarettes.
- James Ward, unemployed, dob 14/03/57, of Norwood Grove, Bolton, was sentenced to six months jail. Ward was a customer buying wholesale quantities of illegal cigarettes.
- Isaac Duxbury, dob 28/05/88, a vehicle paint sprayer, of Aldercroft Avenue, Bolton, was sentenced to 18 months jail. Duxbury was employed by the gang to unpack smuggled cigarettes from concealments and re-box them at the unit for onward distribution.
- Hassan Koc, dob 01/01/65, a business owner in Turkey, of Willoughby Lane, London, N17, was sentenced to three years jail. Koc acted as a sales broker dealing with the suppliers and finding customers for the smuggled cigarettes.
- Christopher Clarke, dob 24/03/69, owner of a food distribution business, of Coal Pit Lane, Smithills, Bolton, was sentenced to two years jail. Clarke rented the unit where the cigarettes were seized and was in daily contact with Taylor.
- Scott Taylor, dob 26/11/66, delivery driver and bar owner in Bulgaria, of Beesby Road, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, was sentenced to two years jail. Taylor was in charge of the storage unit and distribution of the cigarettes.
Richard Wentel, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said:
“Our investigation proved that these men were at the centre of a criminal network evading hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax to line their own pockets.
“Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2 billion a year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders. The sale of illegal cigarettes or tobacco will not be tolerated.”
During the investigation, HMRC officers identified a number of vehicles being used to transport illegal cigarettes around the North West region. These vehicles were observed travelling to and from a commercial unit on Hacken Lane in Bolton. Following the arrest of one driver and the search of his van, HMRC officers entered the industrial unit and discovered more than three million smuggled ‘Pride’ brand cigarettes hidden in 80 metal tubes. HMRC carried out further searches in Greater Manchester, London and Lincolnshire and arrested the gang members.
The seven men pleaded guilty before trial to the evasion of £757,765 in UK Excise Duty and were jailed on 21 and 22 July 2016 for a total of 11 years and four months. Four of the men now face confiscation proceedings to recover their criminal profits and the stolen tax.
Anyone with information about the trade in smuggled or counterfeit tobacco products can contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 to report it.
