Honest Traders are the Winners in Leicestershire Cigarette Prosecution

Source from:  nds.coi.gov.uk 28 October 2008  10/30/2008

Two Leicestershire men have been sentenced today to a total of ten years in prison for their part in a criminal organisation which smuggled 27 million cigarettes and four tons of hand rolling tobacco into the UK. Mohmed Safi Patel and Anis Vohora were found guilty after a two week trial at Leicester Crown Court of stealing £4 million from the public purse following an in-depth investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Nick Burriss, Assistant Chief Investigation Officer for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said: "We will not hesitate to take action against those smuggling cigarettes into the country. These sentences will serve as a deterrent to others. Cigarettes smugglers cheat the country of vital revenue to fund vital public services like hospitals and schools. Smuggling also has a devastating impact on honest retailers forced to compete with the shadow economy." He added: "We will be looking to reclaim the profits from their criminal activity to the nation by pursuing a Confiscation Order under the Proceeds of Crime Act." Investigators arrested Patel and Vohora along with two other men on 31 August 2006 at the Sangra Building, Abbey Park Street, Leicester, and seized 98,000 illicit cigarettes from them. A search of one of the units resulted in a further seizure of nearly 300,000 cigarettes and 16 kilos of hand rolling tobacco. A search of a Mercedes Sprinter van resulted in the seizure of another 600,000 cigarettes. The operation led investigators to a residential house owned by Patel where they uncovered extensive hand written ledgers detailing the organisations purchase and sale of over 27 million smuggled cigarettes and four tons of hand rolling tobacco between November 2005 and August 2006. The revenue loss to the public purse is estimated at around £4 million. On sentencing Patel, His Honour Judge John Milmo QC, said: "You were the brains of the operation and are far from the innocent dupe you say you are. You played a principal role in this complex operation which involved many professional transactions on a commercial scale." Arrests warrants have been issued for the two other men, aged 36 and 43, who failed to answer bail and have since absconded. The 43 year old man was stopped by Customs officers and following a search of his vehicle nearly a million cigarettes were seized. Enditem