Smuggling ring smashed
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by Karen Miles • A haulage director has been accused by Customs and Excise of being involved in a £65m smuggling operation.
David Ripley of Comtrace, based at Silsden, lieighley, West Yorkshire, was last week charged with being knowingly concerned with the evasion of duty. He has been granted bail.
Some of the company's vehicles and trailers were also seized.
The move was part of a nationwide swoop by 500 customs officers on 100 business and private addresses. Customs says this was the largest operation to date against alleged excise and VAT fraud involving spirits, wines, beers and cigarettes.
David Condon and Barry Knight, directors at warehousing firm Draykirk, based at the North Weald aerodrome in Essex, were also charged for being knowingly concerned in the evasion of duty. They have also been granted bail.
In all 14 people have been charged with smuggling offences; customs officers seized "huge consignments" of smuggled wines, beers and spirits at warehouses throughout London and the Home Counties.
Jim McGregor, deputy chief investigation officer of the customs national investigation service, says: "This extensive operation is the culmination of intensive investigation both in the UK and abroad aimed at major criminal organisations defrauding the Exchequer of very large sums of excise duty and VAT."