Smugglers jailed over £2m alcohol fraud

Two men from Northern Ireland have been found guilty of smuggling 200,000 litres of alcohol into the UK, thus avoiding paying almost £2 million in excise duty.

Two men from Northern Ireland have been jailed for smuggling 200,000 litres of alcohol into the UK, avoiding almost £2m in excise duty

Kieran Patrick Hughes, 55, from Portadown, and William Canning, 44, of Ballkelly, appeared before Maidstone Crown Court in Kent on Tuesday.

Hughes was found guilty of 14 counts of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of excise duty and on the count of possession of false documentation. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

Canning was found guilty of two counts of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of excise duty. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

An investigation led by HMRC found the pair forged paperwork that claimed they were importing vinegar, fruit juice, detergent and water into the UK from Europe.

David Magree, from HMRC, said: “Over 18 months these men attempted to flood the UK with illicit alcohol, with the aim of lining their own pockets, at the expense of UK taxpayers.

“They hijacked details from legitimate hauliers in order to disguise the fact they were committing fraud.

“The alcohol was sold on and the profits used to fund further criminality, undercutting legitimate retailers who could not compete with these fraudsters.”

Hughes and Canning will both serve half their sentence in prison and half on licence.