Craig Hassall & Simon Clegg Successfully Prosecute 15 from Tobacco Smuggling Gang
Park Square BarristersCraig Hassall’s criminal practice covers the full spectrum of offences, but he specialises in fraud and other serious and organised crime. He has extensive experience in all areas of financial offending including fraud, money laundering, false accounting and insolvency offences.
Since 2007, Simon Clegg has become an established civil-fraud practitioner with experience of cases involving contrived road-traffic collisions, low-velocity-impact (LVI) and fabricated employer’s liability claims.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the offenders travelled to mainland Europe to buy cheap tobacco before transporting it back to the UK through legal couriers. Over a twelve-month period, they imported over six metric tonnes of tobacco, evading duty of over £1.1 million.
The HMRC investigation lasted two years and a five-week trial had been anticipated in June of this year, before guilty pleas were entered.
HHJ Sean Morris sentenced four of the gang members to a total of over 17 years’ imprisonment.
Contact Criminal clerks
Andrew Thornton on 0113 213 5202
Rebecca Wilson on 0113 213 5203