A farmer has pleaded guilty to ‘tax evasion’ after being caught with 30 kilos of 'dodgy tobacco' in the boot of a car.
Police made the discovery after stopping Bernard McShane, from Forest Road in Forkhill, Co Armagh , at a vehicle check point on Victoria Road, Derry in February 2018.
The vehicle and illicit tobacco products were seized and the 48-year-old questioned by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers.
A further 60,136 cigarettes and 5.1 kilos of smuggled rolling tobacco were found in a follow-up search of his home.
HMRC say the UK excise duty that should have been paid on the haul was almost £44,000.
Steve Tracey, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said: “McShane’s criminal activity undermines legitimate retailers who have to compete with the illicit tobacco trade.
“Illegal tobacco costs the UK economy around £1.8 billion a year - money needed to fund vital public services.”
McShane pleaded guilty to excise fraud at Newry Crown Court on Monday (July 1, 2019) and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Anyone with information regarding “the smuggling, storage or sale of illegal tobacco” is being urged to report it to HMRC online or by calling their Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.
Information can also be reported to HMRC online at https://www.gov.uk/report-tobacco-or-alcohol-tax-evasion.
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