A truck driver has been sentenced to three years in prison after more than nine million cigarettes were found hidden inside air filter units in his HGV.
Polish driver Andrzej Krasnodebski was arrested by Border Force officers at Dover Eastern Docks on 13 June after a search of the truck revealed thousands of cigarettes hidden inside bubble-wrapped air filter units.
Each unit contained 9,000 cigarettes and a total of 9.5m cigarettes were discovered.
HMRC, which investigated the incident, found the driver’s import documents were false and the UK-based firm named on the paperwork was not expecting the delivery of air filters.
HMRC described the offence as a “well-planned criminal operation”.
The driver pleaded guilty to evading excise duty at Maidstone Crown Court on 13 July.
