Van driver caught with thousands of illicit cigarettes jailed

A construction worker has been jailed after thousands of illicit cigarettes worth £95,000 were discovered inside a van on the M74.

Thomas Donnelly, 39, of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, was arrested after the hire van he was driving was stopped by police on the motorway near Wamphray, Dumfries and Galloway, during February 2019.

After carrying out a search of the vehicle they found several boxes containing thousands of cigarettes.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers were contacted and after examination, found there were more than 324,000 illicit cigarettes worth £95,000 in lost duty and taxes.

Police found several boxes containing thousands of cigarettes. Press Release

HMRC officers seized the goods and began interviewing Donnelly, who admitted travelling down to Manchester to buy the cigarettes.

Donnelly pleaded guilty to Excise Duty fraud during November 2019 at Dumfries Sheriff Court and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Lynsey Thompson, operational lead, fraud investigation service, HMRC, said: “The sale of illegal cigarettes will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. This is theft from the taxpayer which undercuts local businesses and now Donnelly is paying the price.

“Cheap cigarettes come at a cost as they often fund organised crime and other illegal activity. If you know anyone smuggling, selling or storing illicit cigarettes, you can report it to HMRC online.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers received a report of a vehicle speeding on the motorway near Wamphray, Dumfries and Galloway, on the morning of February 28, 2019.

“The vehicle was stopped, and a search of the vehicle was carried out. A sizeable amount of illegal cigarettes were discovered and the recovery shows the good work of officers in preventing these cigarettes from reaching our communities.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners to disrupt, detect and deter such criminality and would encourage anyone with information or concerns about illegal or counterfeit cigarettes or tobacco within the local community to contact Trading Standards or Police Scotland on 101.”