In a significant blow to the illegal tobacco trade, Jatinder Bains, 52, from Butterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, has been sentenced to a six-year prison term for orchestrating a vast international tobacco smuggling operation. Bains was convicted of smuggling over 20 million illegal cigarettes into the UK, a criminal endeavour that deprived the government of £4.5 million in due taxes.
The illegal operation came to a halt when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers intercepted the cigarettes and disrupted plans to smuggle an additional 20 million into the country. The Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) of the Netherlands was instrumental in the case, providing crucial phone recordings that linked Bains to Dutch criminal gangs and confirmed his involvement in the smuggling activities.
The profits from Bains’ illicit enterprise funded an extravagant lifestyle, including a collection of luxury vehicles parked on the driveway of his £920,000 Staffordshire estate and frequent trips to exotic destinations such as India, Malaysia, and Dubai.
Kate Roberts, Assistant Director of the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, condemned Bains’ actions, highlighting the broader societal impact: “Bains imported and distributed vast amounts of cigarettes and evaded millions of pounds of taxes. That’s money that should have been supporting our public services instead of funding a luxury lifestyle that Bains could not legitimately afford. Cheap cigarettes come at a cost as they often fund other organised crime and illegal activity that causes real harm to our communities. Smugglers are criminals who don’t care who they sell to, including children.”
The operation utilized a network of haulage firms, drivers, and trucks to facilitate the smuggling. Notable seizures linked to Bains included over three million cigarettes from brands such as Regal and Marlboro, intercepted in Dover, and an additional 3.2 million cigarettes from brands like Lambert and Butler, Jims, Richman, and Gold Classic, found hidden behind ice cream cones and biscuits in an industrial unit in Sandbach.
During search warrants executed in 2017 as part of a separate investigation, HMRC seized 29 mobile phones and various documents connecting Bains to the illicit shipments. He was arrested in 2018 at his manor on suspicion of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue.
Following a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in October 2023, Bains was convicted of tax evasion and money laundering. He received his six-year sentence at the same court on November 7, 2023.
HMRC continues to urge the public to report any suspicions of illegal tobacco or alcohol sales, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in combating such fraudulent activities.
