'ermit forgeries put thole system at risk
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kSSIVE fraud that "could have destroyed the whole basis of nternational permit system" came to an end when seven Wants pleaded guilty to a total of 86 offences last week.
le court was told that the panies involved had both 1 genuine permits frauatly and possessed forged company called Smith's toes (Redditch) Ltd had into liquidation but had inued to collect its quota ermits from the Internnal Freight Office at castle-upon-Tyne. It was e permits which were used le accused, le forged permits, on the r hand, were bought for each from a man in the ford Tunnel and were de)ed by John Pugh, prose% for the West Midlands nsing Authority, as brilliforgeries. One of the detants was accused of essing these forgeries, but Pf using them.
r Pugh said the case was aordinarily complex and ;reat importance to the age industry: The charges re the court were only a Aion of the offences which come to light. Big money involved, since the trips — aly, France and West Ger many — could net the haulier £1,000 profit or more.
In the dock were Douglas Smith, of Peterborough, and Michael Smith, of Redditch, trading as Smith Brothers International Transport, Redditch; Zanion Ltd, Redditch and one of its directors, Ronald Gardner, of Wolverhampton; Allied Motors (Europe) Ltd, trading as Kontinental Auto Werke, Redditch; and owner-driver John Bowman, of Maidstone.
Michael Carless for the Smith brothers, Gardner and Zanion Ltd, said that the 0licence of Smiths Potatoes had not been surrendered after the company went into liquidation, as the brothers mistakenly, felt the licence was their own. They continued to receive permit application forms from the International Freight office at Newcastleupon-Tyne.
When an operator was not using his permits, he could transfer them to another holder by applying to the Newcastle office. What had happened here was that the permits had been transferred direct by the two Smiths, said Mr Carless.
The forged permits offences involved possession only; they had been purchased by Douglas Smith without the knowledge of the others. Some of the offences resulted from sheer stupidity but others were because of ignorance of the law and correct procedure.
John Sampson, for Allied Motors, said they became involved in a minor way when they sought return loads for vehicles returning empty to the Continent. The company was now confining its activities to carrying its own goods.
Mr Bowman said he had towed trailers belonging to Zanion and the Smith brothers and used their permits without realising this was a breach of the regulations.
The magistrates fined Douglas Smith (29 offences) £2,350 with £200 costs, Michael Smith (36 offences) £2,900, and £210 costs, Ronald Gardner (four offences) £300 with £20 costs, Zanion Ltd (12 offences) £640 with £50 costs, Allied Motors (two offences) £100 with £10 costs, and John Bowman (three offences) £150 with £10 costs.