Smuggler to pay back £81,000 or face more time in jail
A smuggler who dodged more than £160,000 in duty and taxes must pay over £81,000 of his profit or face more time in jail.
Gulam Shaikh, of Essington Road, Willenhall, was jailed for three years at Wolverhampton Crown Court on December 9, 2015 after he pleaded guilty to the fraudulent evasion of excise duty.
The 57-year-old had smuggled more than 450,000 cigarettes and nearly 100kg of hand rolling tobacco in the UK before he was brought to justice.
He was first investigated in September 2014 when his van was stopped by police and boxes of tobacco found. They contained 160,000 illicit cigarettes and some hand rolling tobacco. When his home was searched, a further 215,000 non-duty paid cigarettes and 70kg of tobacco was found in his garage.
He was arrested again in January 2015 after HMRC officers saw him unloading boxes in Willenhall. They contained President-branded cigarettes and a search of a house uncovered another 236,000 illicit cigarettes and more than 27kg of hand rolling tobacco and cash.
Another search found Shaikh had £5,000 hidden under his mattress.
At Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday, he was ordered to pay back £81,617.68 by May 18, 2017 or face another 18 months in jail and still owe the money.
All of the illicit cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco will be destroyed. The total duty evaded totals £164,154.85.
