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LEICESTERSHIRE MEN JAILED FOR MAJOR CIGARETTE SMUGGLING SCAM |
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Monday, 08 May 2006 |
Six Leicestershire men were jailed for a total of eight years today at Leicester Crown Court after being found guilty of smuggling 8.1 million counterfeit cigarettes into the UK. They were convicted of evading about £1.3 million revenue.
Nick Burriss, Assistant Chief Investigation Officer for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said:
"This is an excellent result for all honest traders. We will not hesitate to take action against those smuggling cigarettes into the country. These sentences will serve as a deterrent to others. Smuggling cigarettes is not a harmless tax fiddle. It cheats the Government of revenue which can be used to fund public services."
The court heard that the major haul of counterfeit cigarettes was detected by Customs Officers, on 15 August 2003, when a container arrived at Felixstowe from Mombasa, Kenya, falsely declaring a consignment of 814 cartons (nine tonnes) of tea. Customs Officers launched an undercover surveillance operation and followed the vehicle to an address in Leicester where the arrests were later made.
The men were found guilty under the Customs and Excise Management Act and officers will now consider confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
In sentencing the men His Honour Judge Hammond said:
"This was a sophisticated, well planned and large scale smuggling operation which involved a large container of counterfeit cigarettes. This offence is serious, cheating honest taxpayers and causing suffering to local businesses."
Details of the defendants are as follows:
* Jayesh Jobanputra Bhanji, 39, self employed of 35 Chestnut Drive, Leicester, sentenced to 3 years.
* Jasrinder Singh Rupra, 42, unemployed, of 205 Glen Road, Oadby, Leicester, sentenced to 12 months.
* Jagdish Patel, 46, of 53 Parkland Drive, Oadby, Leicestershire, sentenced to 12 months.
* Jasdeep Singh Randhawa, 31, unemployed, of Mortonledge Street, Leicester, sentenced to 18 months.
* Jaspal Singh, 30, unemployed of Tiverton Avenue, Leicester, sentenced to 18 months.
* Tajinder Singh Loyal, 31, a sales consultant, of Grange Road, Wigston Fields, Leicester, sentenced to 12 months.
Sentencing of Arbinder Singh Roopra, 29, a debt advisor/collector of 3 The Riding, Beaumont Leys, Leicester and Amarjit Singh Kullar, 37, a company director of Cosby Road, Littlethorpe, Leicester has been adjourned to 1st June 2006.
This case was successfully prosecuted by the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO). RCPO is an independent prosecuting authority, which reports to the Attorney General, and is responsible for the prosecution of all HMRC cases in England & Wales.
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