Two in prison over counterfeit cigarettes

Two men were today starting prison sentences for their part in a scam that would have seen the West Midlands flooded with 500,000 counterfeit cigarettes.

Abdullah Karim and Hiwa Ali were stopped during routine police checks on vehicles travelling along the A5 at Wall, Staffordshire.

A search of the van revealed the haul of fake Superking cigarettes hidden in boxes in the back. More than £90,000 duty had been evaded on the load.

Karim, aged 34, of Glentworth Gardens, Wolverhampton, was jailed for 12 months while Ali, 27, of Penkridge Street, Walsall, was given a nine-month jail term at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday.

Adrian Farley, assistant director of criminal investigation for HM Revenue & Customs, said: "This latest investigation highlights our success in bringing to justice those responsible for this illegal trade across the West Midlands. Far from offering the consumer a 'so called' bargain the goods are unregulated and it's anyone's guess as to what they actually contain. In addition there are no safeguards to underage sales or the conditions in which they are kept."

The men were convicted after a three-day trial. The jury previously heard that driver Hiwa Ali did not have a valid driving licence and was therefore not insured to take the wheel.

He and Karim, who was a passenger in the Renault van, were both convicted of knowingly being concerned in the dealing of goods with a duty that had not been paid.

Both men claimed to have thought the load was household goods and furniture when they were stopped on November 29. Officers also found a book in the van that listed a number of addresses linked to previous seizures of illicit cigarettes.

Mr Farley added: "We need the help of local people and businesses to help us stamp out this illegal trade, which costs public funds £2 billion a year in lost revenue."