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E5K victory against Customs An owner-driver has forced Customs 8(
Page 8
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Excise to repay him more than £5,000 which he had to pay to get his truck back. Chris Tindall reports.
A WELSH owner-driver has won a victory over Customs & Excise. which has finally agreed to return more than £5.000 he was forced to pay for the release of his truck.
Sheldon Bright's Volvo FI2 tractor was seized in Ramsgate in May 2002 after C&E officers discovered more than two tonnes of Golden Virginia tobacco in his groupage load (CM 5 September 2002). He was originally threatened with a 0 bill of £14.000 — almost treble the truck's value. Bright says he was arrested and interviewed for three-and-a-half hours before officers accepted that he had been unaware of the contraband.
He was released without charge, but his vehicle was confiscated and was only returned six months later when Bright finally raised the /5,025 fee demanded for its release.
Bright took the matter to a tribunal, which found that he was "the victim of a scam" that had begun in Belgium, where the load was picked up.
"A tribunal found C&E got it wrong and told them to reconside their position," he says. -My earnings went down by 50%."
A review officer has now written to Bright, owner of Powys-based 5J's International, agreeing t refund him, but warning that "the process may take a little time". C&E has acknowledged that the amount it demanded was wrongly calculated because it had valued the wrong model.
Bright is now considering legal action to recoup interest and loss of earnings; C&E declined to comment.