Cigarette gang must pay £107,652

A gang caught smuggling more than a million cigarettes through the Black Country has been ordered to pay back over £100,000 by a court.

The criminals, from addresses in Darlaston, Rugeley, Willenhall, Cannock and Bloxwich, were part of an operation which evaded around £170,000 in duty and VAT.

They were jailed in March last year after Customs officials seized 958,120 cigarettes from a unit in Bilort Lane, Wednesbury.

The haul included 700,000 fake Embassy cigarettes which were seized from the back of a van which was being driven by Willenhall man David Locke near Hilton Park services on the M6.

Partners in crime Philip Costello, David Turner, Craig Street and Michael Bishop, were all said to be part of a professional racket and all admitted evading duty. Costello, of Nemant Grove, Rugeley, arranged use of the unit and was caught loading cigarettes onto a van with Street, of Bridges Crescent, Cannock.

The van owner was Locke, of Durham Avenue, Willenhall, who collected his business partner Turner, of Field Road, Bloxwich, when he handed over the vehicle to Street.

When Locke was arrested he was found with documents linking him to the movement of another 662,800 cigarettes, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard last year.

Bishop, of Cook Street, Darlaston, was the owner of the unit. Costello, aged 42, was jailed for two years. Locke, 48, for 16 months while Turner, 55, Street, 44, and 52-year-old Bishop received eight months each.

The West Midlands Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART) launched a bid to seize the proceeds of crime, resulting in this week's order by Wolverhampton Crown Court for the defendants to pay back £107,652 within six months or face the possibility of extra time in jail.

The men now have up to six months to pay back the money.

Detective Inspector Andy Bannister, head of the Midland RART, said today: "We are ensuring that crime does not pay. This was criminal conduct and is an affront to the hard-working people who earn money legally, pay taxes and play by the rules in our society.

"Our experience with many criminal gangs shows that one day this type of criminal may make money out of illegal cigarette importation, another day illegal drugs," he added.

"We will use Proceeds of Crime Act legislation wherever possible to prevent the money being re-circulated, enjoyed or reinvested in criminal enterprises."

Since April the Midland RART has won repayment orders totalling in the region of £3 million.

Det Insp Bannister urged anyone with information on people living off the proceeds of crime to contact officers on 0845 113 5000 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.