Doncaster man sentenced for smuggling illegal tobacco
James Brennan, 46, of Grange View, Doncaster, was arrested by HM Revenue and Customs officers after he was caught collecting hand-rolling tobacco worth £153,300 in unpaid duty.
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Brennan was sentenced yesterday at Sheffield Crown Court to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months after he admitted excise fraud at Sheffield Crown Court on June 13.
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Hide AdThe illegal goods were discovered in the back of a hired van when officers visited the rented storage unit on Gunhills Lane, Doncaster, in September 2014.
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The 849.5 kilos of Turner tobacco was seized by HMRC and Brennan was arrested at the scene.
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Eden Noblett, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC said:Â 'Brennan aimed to put this illegal tobacco on the UK streets and pocket the profit, which was enough money to pay the salaries for six trainee firefighters for a year. He thought he could get away with it, but he was wrong.
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'The black market trade in illegal tobacco harms legitimate traders and is stealing money from taxpayers that is needed for public services we rely on. I encourage anyone with information on this type of fraud to report it to HMRC online, or contact our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.'
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Proceedings are also underway to recover the unpaid duty.