1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198 
Smuggler jailed for a year
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A TRUCK DRIVER has been jailed for a year for attempting to smuggle more than a million cigarettes into the UK.
Maidstone Crown Court heard that Eric Hargreaves from Cockermouth was stopped at Dover Port on 17 May 2003 after his truck passed through the X-ray machine. Customs officers discovered a handle behind the rear light which opened a panel in the side of the vehicle where the cigarettes were hidden, Hargreaves denied evading duty but was convicted. In mitigation, John Burrow told the court that Hargreaves had suffered for his actions: his marriage had broken down and he had been forced to file for bankruptcy.
Passing sentence, Recorder Kenneth Parker QC noted the mitigating circumstances, but added:-You didn't plead guilty and therefore I can't give you credit that such a plea would have carried. There is evidence that this was a professionalsmuggling operation.There were others involved. In all the circumstances,it seems tome that the gravity of the offence.just [lies only a custodial sentence."
Customs spokesman Nigel Knott says: "The sentence reflects the court's view of the severity of this offence, and should act as a warning to any other cigarette smugglers. The fact that the smuggled goods were discovered by the scanner also highlights the importance of new technology."