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Swansea piano mover had 90,000 counterfeit cigarettes in storage unit

By EvansTheCrime  |  Posted: March 07, 2016

A SWANSEA piano mover who was paid £200 a month to store tens of thousands of fake fags in his lock-up has been given a suspended prison sentence - and has been told he faces having to pay back £27,000 in taxes and more than £4,000 in costs

When police, revenue and trading standards staff swooped on Nigel Jones' storage unit in Garngoch Industrial Estate last year they uncovered 90,000 counterfeit and illegal cigarettes.

Swansea Crown Court heard that it was Jones' job to store the illicit tobacco for others, as well as to carry out deliveries of stock.

Jones, of Heol Grufydd, Ravenhill, had previously pleaded guilty to running a fraudulent business and avoiding paying customs and excise duty when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

The court heard Jones - who now runs a successful piano-moving business - was unemployed at the time of the offences, and "stupidly got caught up" in the cigarette enterprise. He was paid some £200 a month to store the tobacco.

Paul Jones from Swansea Council's trading standards department with some of the seized cigarettes

Judge Patrick Curran QC said it was clear the defendant "was not the prime mover" in the importation business, but had been involved in the storage and distribution of the goods from his lock-up.

The court heard Jones has a conviction for a similar offence dating back to 1999.

The defendant was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay £4,220 in prosecution costs.

The court heard HM Revenue and Customs would likely now pursue Jones for £27,416.21 in lost taxes and duties under Proceeds of Crime powers.

The prosecution follows an investigation by Swansea Council's trading standards department and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) last summer.

Speaking after the sentencing Mark Child, Swansea Council's cabinet member for well-being and healthy city, said: "This latest case is another excellent example of what the council is doing to try and protect the public in Swansea from the risks associated with illegal tobacco.

"We know that smoking in general is not good for you but the risks are even greater with counterfeit cigarettes because no one knows what additional chemicals are being used."

Colin Spinks, assistant director of fraud investigation at HMRC said the HMRC would not hesitate to investigate those who "try to profit from defrauding honest taxpayers, and businesses".