By Chiara Pollock,Lanarkshire Live
Copyright glasgowlive
A Lanarkshire man caught with more than £2million worth of illegal cigarettes in his garage has been jailed for 18 months.
Robert Lesniowski, 48, admitted being involved in an attempt to defraud HMRC of £874,000 in duty.
Lesniowski was told by Sheriff Paul Haran that the potential lost tax revenue was “significant” and a prison sentence was necessary.
Airdrie Sheriff Court heard intelligence led customs officers to raid Lesniowski’s home in the town’s Deedes Street on February 17, 2022.
They found 2,425,134 cigarettes and 467kg of hand-rolling tobacco, Lanarkshire Live reports.
Lesniowski was originally charged with attempting to defraud HMRC of £1.2 million in a scam that also covered two other addresses in Airdrie, but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to a reduced charge.
An allegation that he was concerned in the supply of amphetamine was dropped.
Lesniowski claimed he was put under pressure by a group of men to store the bootleg cigarettes and tobacco in his lock-up.
Defence lawyer Elke Maclean said his record is limited to traffic offences and background reports assessed him as a low risk in relation to re-offending.
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Sheriff Haran told him: “I’m satisfied your level of culpability falls at the lowest level.
“I accept at face value your position that you were coerced into this conduct to a degree.
“Nonetheless, as a consequence of the significant sum involved there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.
“Sentencing guidelines for these cases identify a starting point of 30 months for offences involving around £1 million.
“In your case the starting point would have been 24 months, but you pled guilty before trial so the sentence will be modified to 18 months.”
Lesniowski faces a confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act in November.
An HMRC spokesperson said: “Illicit tobacco undermines legitimate retailers, funds wider crime and deprives our vital public services of around £2.2 billion a year.
“We urge anyone with information about the smuggling, distribution or sale of illicit tobacco to report it online.”
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