Gang of five evaded import tax on £370k of tobacco

A judge has jailed five men for their part in a “highly organised” scheme arranging the importation of hand-rolled tobacco to Yorkshire on which duty had not been paid.

Customs officers believed the Doncaster-based group organised the importation of at least 2,100 kilogrammes of tobacco, which was liable for import tax of more than £370,000.

Craig Hassall, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that on November 8, 2012 officers raided a unit at Ready Steady Store in Doncaster and found that Ronald Edwards, described as the leader of the conspiracy, had just taken delivery of over 1,800 kilogrammes of tobacco.

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The unit had only been rented that morning with the lorry carrying the tobacco led to the storage facility by Russell Scherdel, a son-in-law of Edwards. Mr Hassall said Edwards was “ably assisted” in arranging the importation by his son, Lee Edwards and two sons-in-law Scherdel and Paul Higgins.

The delivery note for the pallets described the contents in cardboard boxes as “discount/ex display clothing.” The recommended retail price for the tobacco inside would have been at least £462,000 with duty evaded on that shipment alone £295,398.

As a result the home of Ronald Edwards in Lords Close, Doncaster was searched and officers discovered a tobacco packing plant in his garage which included wooden racks of the size to hold a tobacco pouch while it was being filled.

Ronald Edwards, 64 was jailed for two years. Lee Edwards, 37 of Grange Road, Cantley; Higgins, 46 of Chantry Close, Cantley and Scherdel, 51 of Warnington Drive, Bessecarr, Doncaster and Ainger, 33 of Suffolk Way, Hornchurch, Essex were each jailed for two-and-a-half years. All five admitted conspiracy to evade duty on hand-rolling tobacco.