INTERNATIONAL CIGARETTE SMUGGLING RING SENTENCED

5 Apr 2002 03:42 PM

An organised, international smuggling gang was today sentenced to over 19 years for smuggling over 354 million cigarettes into the UK, cheating the UK taxpayer out of an estimated £50 million.

Customs Law Enforcement Officers in an operation supported by the Security Service, foiled the gang following an intense undercover operation lasting 13 months. Customs officers worked with European and overseas law enforcement agencies to track and snare the smuggling gang.

Customs protected a further £165 million in tax by seizing cigarettes in Netherlands. Italy, Belgium, France and the ROI that were destined for illegal sale in the UK.

Customs Assistant Chief Investigator Officer, Stuart Sadler said, "This is an example of how highly organised, professional, criminal gangs are involved in the smuggling of cigarettes on a massive scale. Customs and Excise is determined to tackle these organisations using all means at its disposal including, as in this case, working jointly with other agencies both in the UK and abroad to achieve maximum impact."

The gang had connections with criminals in Ireland, Gibraltar and Italy and sourced cigarettes in the EU and Third World countries. They then shipped the cigarettes to warehouses in Europe where they repacked the cigarettes in lorries and freight containers with innocuous, legitimate commodities such as BBQ's, plywood and china. The lorries and containers were then dispatched to smuggle the cigarettes into the UK.

Once the cigarettes were in the UK they were moved to warehouses across the country, broken down to smaller loads before being transported to customers.

Customs estimate that in a one-year period of illegal activity up to £30 million in cash passed through the hands of the gang.

Extensive Customs surveillance established a large network of transport companies, distribution sites and customers involved in the fraud. Following a delivery to a site, Unit One, Riverwharf Industrial Estate, Belvedere, Kent on 9 November 1999, Customs Officers moved in to seize cigarettes and arrested Stephen Burrell and Michael Edwards, two of the principals.

On the same day following further arrests and property searches throughout the UK, Customs succeeded in dismantling the criminal organisation.

Two addresses searched were the homes of Kieran Smyth and Martin Daly in Newry, Northern Ireland. Smyth and Daly are alleged to be some of the principal organisers of this fraud but were outside the jurisdiction at the time and could not be arrested. Daly has subsequently been extradited from Turkey to the Netherlands were he awaits trial in connection with cigarette smuggling. Kieran Smyth was found murdered last year in a field in Northern Ireland.

Those sentenced were:

Terence Amsbury, 42, of Blanmerle Road, Eltham, London, SE9. The main man, was found guilty and sentenced to 6 years.

Stephen Burrell, 46, of 2 The Heights, Charlton, London SE7, Amsbury's right hand man and main keeper of accounts, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 3 years and 11 months.

Coral Brown, 39, of 114 Campfield Road, Eltham, London, SE9 Burrell's side-kick, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 months community rehabilitation.

Michael Edwards, 36, of 2B The Heights, Charlton, London SE7, Burrell's right hand man, was found guilty and sentenced to 2 years and 6 months.

Andrew Rose, 46, of 8 Pleasant View, Erith, Kent, the main buyer for the organisation, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 months.

Frank Mirabitur, 53, of 4 Henwick Hall Avenue, Ramsbottom, Manchester, owner of warehouse in Bolton, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months.

Mario Macaluso, 40, of 54 Lynwood Road, London, W5, organisation's Italian interpreter, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 hours community service.

Stephen O'Neon, 40, of 7 Lincolns Close, Bishopstortford, Herts, lorry driver for the organisation, pleaded guilty on 20 September 2001 and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Michael Conoley, 61, of Burbage Close, London SE1, driver, was found guilty and sentenced to 2 years.

Tony Smith, 38, of 22 Birchwood Estate, Birchhanger, Bishopstortford, Herts, lorry driver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 9 months.

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

1. Last year the taxpayer lost £3.5 billion in revenue to cigarettes smuggling. Money that could have gone towards funding essential services such as schools and hospitals.

2. Photographs are available from the Customs Press Office.

ENDS

Issued by Customs and Excise Headquarters, London.
For further information, please contact:
Robert Buxton 020 7865 5010
Nadine Smith 020 7865 5715
Steve Hallworth 020 7865 5095

Press.office@hmce.gsi.gov.uk
Out of Hours 020 7620 1313

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