A crook caught smuggling more than 42,000 cigarettes through Glasgow Airport claimed he was too skint to show up in court.
Instead, Moshood Kassim, 27, who was busted with sleeves of the contraband tobacco after getting off a flight in Paisley,
sent a copy of a bus time table to explain his absence.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard Kassim pleaded guilty by letter to a charge of attempting to defraud HM Customs and Excise out of duties payable on the cigarettes.
However, he failed to turn up for a second time in court to face the music because he couldn’t afford the travel fare from Hackney, in London, where he is staying.
Instead, Kassim sent a copy of the bus schedule to the court.
Defence agent Kirsty McGeehan said her client had been in touch to explain he was unable to travel from England because he didn’t have any money to pay for his ticket.
Previously he ducked a hearing last month because he was self-isolating amid fears he had Covid-19.
However Ms McGeehan confirmed her client had admitted responsibility for the charge but requested the case be continued until he is able to travel.
Sheriff Colin Pettigrew said: “He pleaded guilty to the charge. And he has sent a bus timetable.
“The last time he was due to appear he was unable to because he was self-isolating.
“This time, it’s because he can’t afford it.”
He added the “sensible thing” to do was to adjourn the case until after Covid-19 travel restrictions had been fully lifted.
Kassim pleaded guilty to a charge of being in possession of 42,600 cigarettes at Glasgow Airport on February 29 last year.
He admitted he was knowingly concerned in fraudulent evasion of duties charged HM Customs by importing cigarettes without having paid duties, and had attempted to defraud the UK Government.
His sentencing has been deferred until July 2 for Kassim to appear at court when he will discover his fate.
Tobacco smuggling can carry a fine or even lead to a prison sentence, with the smuggled items being confiscated.
Custom bosses have been leading a 10-year campaign to eradicate tobacco smuggling, but the problem still costs the taxpayer an estimated £2.2 billion a year.
