Duty free fraud gang jailed
15.09.11
Six members gang committing duty Free fraud at UK airports including Gatwick have been jailed over a scam involving more than two million cigarettes. The gang used counterfeit boarding cards or one-way open tickets to buy cigarettes in the duty free shops at airports across the UK before leaving the airport without taking a flight.
Martin Brown, assistant director of Criminal Investigation for HMRC, said: ‘Our officers uncovered a sophisticated and highly organised fraud by this gang led by Michael Pitt, whose motivation was pure greed. The effect of this type of criminal activity on legitimate retailers can be devastating and billions of pounds are lost in duty each year - money which should be available for public services.’
The ringleader, Michael Pitt, 47, from Islington, London, was jailed for five years at the Hove Trial Centre in Sussex for illegally purchasing 2.3 million cigarettes at airport duty free shops. The duty evaded between February 2009 and May 2010 was £545,933.
Three members of the gang - Pitt, Kevin McGee, aged 28, and Mike Ewens, aged 38, all from London - would purchase the cigarettes in the duty free shops at airports across the UK using counterfeit boarding cards, or one-way open tickets. Two other gang members, John Cooper, 57, and Kenneth Chapman, 68, both from Essex, would distribute the cigarettes.
Another member of the gang, Tracey Smith, aged 44 and from Manchester, worked as a sales assistant at Manchester Airport's duty free shop. She facilitated the fraud by selling the majority of the cigarettes to gang members at Manchester Airport's duty free shop.
McGee was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment; Ewens was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, and given a 6 month overnight curfew; Cooper was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment; Chapman was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to undertake 200 hours community service, and Smith was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
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