Tobacco fraudster exposed after break-in

Thursday, 29 June 2017 07:00

A Huddersfield man, whose stash of illicit tobacco was found by police investigating a break-in at his home, has been jailed.

Grocery shop worker Mer Kochar Ali, aged 42 and of Town Avenue, was sentenced to eight months in prison for tax evasion after a HM Revenue and Customs investigation found he repeatedly ignored warnings and sold illegal cigarettes.

His crime was uncovered when West Yorkshire Police went to his home after it was burgled in August 2016.

When police checked his property, they discovered 23,700 cigarettes and 11.5kg of hand rolling tobacco hidden in laundry bags and bin liners throughout the house.

Enquiries revealed tobacco seizures were made on four occasions at a shop Ali used to manage on Bradford Road in Huddersfield.

Investigators also found Ali had been prosecuted by Trading Standards for selling non-UK duty paid cigarettes and tobacco at his former Mexborough Mini Market in Doncaster, in January last year.

The excise duty on the illicit tobacco products found at his home totalled £8,418.38.

Ali admitted excise fraud and was sentenced to eight months in prison at Leeds Crown Court.

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