Man jailed for attempting to smuggle 14,000 Polish cigarettes into Doncaster Sheffield Airport

A 40-year-old man caught trying to smuggle 14,000 Polish cigarettes into the country at Sheffield Doncaster Airport has been jailed for over a year.
A 40-year-old man caught trying to smuggle 14,000 Polish cigarettes into the country at Sheffield Doncaster airport has been jailed for over a year.A 40-year-old man caught trying to smuggle 14,000 Polish cigarettes into the country at Sheffield Doncaster airport has been jailed for over a year.
A 40-year-old man caught trying to smuggle 14,000 Polish cigarettes into the country at Sheffield Doncaster airport has been jailed for over a year.

On February 14 this year, Woljchiech Greda arrived at Doncaster Sheffield Airport on a return flight from Gdansk with some 14,000 cigarettes he had brought with him from his native Poland.

Sheffield Crown Court was told that the stash of cigarettes were worth £3,829.81.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Due to the fact Greda, aged 40, had been given police warnings during three similar attempts to smuggle thousands of Polish cigarettes into the country at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport he was arrested on the spot.

Prosecuting, Matthew Burdon, said: "He said he took £2,500 to Poland and intended to buy imports because they're cheaper than they are in England, and he admitted to travelling to Poland frequently."

He added: "He said he knew he was doing something wrong."

Greda was released on police bail, but was caught committing an identical offence less than a month later on March 11 when he was stopped on his way back from Gdansk trying to smuggle 800 Polish cigarettes into Manchester Airport.

Greda's fiancé, who was travelling with him, was caught with some 7,200 Polish cigarettes in her possession.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The dad-of-two admitted pleaded guilty to five counts relating to his attempts to smuggle Polish cigarettes into the country without paying any tax.

Defending, Michael Cane-Soothill, told the court that Greda, who has lived in Britain since 2007, claimed he was smuggling the cigarettes into the country for his and his fiancé's personal use.

He said: "He said he and his partner each smoke a packet every day."

Mr Cane Soothill said the 'majority' of the cigarettes Greda brought back from Poland when he went there to visit his 17-year-old daughter were for his and his partner, but said there would have been a small excess left over that he would have used to sell to friends.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Judge Robert Moore sentenced Greda, of Bryant Road, Stoke-on-Trent, to 15 months in prison.

He said: "Illegal importing of cigarettes deprives this country of revenue, but perhaps more importantly it deprives local corner shops of valuable cash.

"I take the view that these offences are so serious only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified."

Related topics: