A truck driver who tried to smuggle 7.9m cigarettes into the UK in what he had claimed was a load consisting of paper towels and tissues, has received a two and a half year prison sentence.
Artur Staniszczak was arrested by Border Force officers at Dover Eastern Docks on 17 July after a search of his truck revealed the cigarettes.
Import documents, which were found to be fake, showed that the load contained 33 pallets of paper goods.
The driver, who is from Poland, pleaded guilty to evading excise duty at Maidstone Crown Court on 15 July. He must serve 15 months of his two and a half year sentence in custody.
Tim Clarke, assistant director, Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said: “This lorry contained nothing but boxes of smuggled cigarettes. Staniszczak hoped that false import documents would prevent the illegal load being discovered, but he’s now paying the price with a prison sentence."
