Smuggler gets 10 months Sentence reduced
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A truck driver who stole a 141.000 trailer from a • A Shropshire truck driver has been given a suspended 10month prison sentence for smuggling tobacco and alcohol from France.
Appearing before Canterbury Crown Court, Ludlowbased Keith Huffer pleaded guilty to two counts of duty evasion and one count of dealing with goods.
Mark Heywood, prosecuting, told the court that on 13 November Huffer was stopped by Customs at Dover Eastern Docks. They searched his artic and found 33.5kg of tobacco, 12,800 cigarettes, 4115 litres of wine and four fares of spirits. The total duty evaded was said to be 230,000.
Alistair Keith, for Huffer, said he had been an NOV driver for many years and had no previous convictions. "He is truly ashamed, embarrassed and naïve regarding the seriousness of the offence," he added.
Judge Timothy Nash jailed Huffer but suspended the sentence for one year. He said: "There are substantial sums of money evaded by you in this
case, but you are of previous good character and you had the good sense and courage to plead guilty. There has to be a prison sentence, but in view of the exceptional circumstances I can suspend it."
Huffer was ordered to pay 2200 casts.
• An Irish haulier has had his truck seized after one of his drivers used it to smuggle alcohol and tobacco into the Republic.
When members of the Revenue Mobile Unit at Dublin Port searched the truck on Friday 30 April they found 45kg of rolling tobacco, 250 litres of wine and 150 litres of beer hidden among a load of cosmetics en-route from France.
Under Irish law the contraband, the legal cargo and the truck itself are all forfeit. The smuggled goods are valued at IRE8,500; the seized truck is worth IR2150,000 The Revenue Commissioners accept that the driver's employer was not aware of his actions—but the seized truck will not be returned.