Teen tagged over East Midlands Airport cigarette smuggling
06.03.08
A teenager who admitted trying to smuggle 16,600 cigarettes through East Midlands Airport has been given a six month curfew order, enforced by tagging. The order requires her to stay at her home address between 20:00 and 08:00.
Rebecca Berry, 18, of Downs Lane, Hetton, was arrested and charged by HM Customs and Revenue officers for trying to take the cigarettes through the airport on February 11. She pleaded guilty to smuggling 16,600 cigarettes and evading duty of £2,678 after arriving on a flight from Tenerife.
Ms Berry had been stopped by Customs officers trying to smuggle cigarettes on two previous occasions. She was stopped at Newcastle Airport in January this year with 16,600 cigarettes and at Heathrow in May 2007 trying to smuggle 17,000 cigarettes.On both occasions, the goods were seized and a verbal warning was given, as well as warning letters.
Speaking after her appearance at Loughborough Magistrates' Court, John Macmillan, detection manager for HM Revenue and Customs at East Midlands Airport, said: ‘We hope this sends a clear message to those involved in cigarette smuggling that we will take action to seize the goods and also to bring criminal proceedings.'
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