Cigarettes hidden in Christmas tree cargo
Dec 14, 2006, 17:14
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A POLISH ex-policeman has admitted smuggling 1.5 million cigarettes into the country – hidden under a load of Christmas trees. The consignment arrived in Hull in an unaccompanied trailer on the ferry The Pride of Rotterdam. When Wieslaw Wosciech Sawicki, 41, was stopped on his way out of the port officers discovered the cigarettes in a coffin-like compartment hidden beneath the plastic trees. The cigarettes would have gone on sale in Leicestershire, probably at car boot sales, pubs or from people's homes. Sawicki, who was remanded in custody, pleaded guilty to evasion of excise duty at an initial hearing Hull Magistrates Court. He was sent to Hull Crown Court for sentencing next month. Customs officials say the tax evasion on the seizure is around 180,000 pounds. The cigarettes have already been destroyed. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has sharply cut the market share in illicit cigarettes over four years. But a massive sum of revenue is still being lost, with 2.9bn pounds defrauded in 2003-04 and the department believes that 2004-05 will probably see an increase. John Kinghorn, HMRC's head of detection for Yorkshire and Humber Region, said: "The annual cost of tobacco smuggling to the public purse is nearly 3bn pounds, which could be funding schools and hospitals. "This trade in illicit tobacco also breeds contempt for the law by encouraging otherwise honest people to trade with and support criminals." Mr Kinghorn urged anyone with information about smuggling to ring HMRC's confidential hotline numbers on 01482 785840 or 01469 553726; text 07710 633736 or call the freephone number 0800 595000.
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