HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has successfully dismantled a gang of eleven men from Bolton involved in smuggling 150 million illegal cigarettes into the UK, avoiding more than £41 million in tax and excise duties.
The operation began in August 2017, when HMRC launched a prolonged undercover surveillance campaign. Over several months, investigators gathered extensive evidence including photographs, recorded conversations, and other undeniable proof of the criminal activities.
During vehicle checks, authorities seized over 2.5 million cigarettes and nearly £1 million in cash. The gang used businesses across Lancashire and Staffordshire to coordinate deliveries, swap vans, and exchange illicit tobacco products. Fifteen recorded deliveries between October 2017 and February 2018 played a crucial role in securing convictions.
All defendants pleaded guilty during hearings held between 2023 and 2025. On 23 April 2026, Manchester Crown Court handed down sentences, with five ringleaders receiving prison terms exceeding ten years. The other six defendants were given suspended sentences of up to ten years.
Sentences for key individuals are as follows:
- Amit Patel (Bolton) – 2 years suspended for conspiracy to evade excise duty.
- Jayun Bhudia (Bolton) – 22 months suspended for conspiracy to evade excise duty.
- David Cook (Liverpool) – 2.5 years in jail for conspiracy to evade excise duty.
- Paul Dunbavin (Prescot) – 22 months suspended for conspiracy to evade excise duty.
- Altaf Hussein Patel (Bolton) – 15 months suspended for participating in organised crime.
- Jack Mather (Bolton) – 3 years 4 months in jail for conspiracy to evade excise duty.
- Pshtewan Khaleed Majeed (Birmingham) – 17 months suspended for organised crime participation.
- Yasir Ali (Bradford) – 22 months suspended for conspiracy to evade excise duty.
- Carl Coxon (Scotland) – 1 year 10 months in jail for money laundering.
- Miralam Mohammed Khan (Bolton) – 1 year 4 months in jail for money laundering.
- Arkan Hussein (No fixed address) – 1 year 8 months in jail for money laundering.
HMRC continues to urge the public to report any suspicions regarding illegal tobacco or alcohol sales. Anyone with information is encouraged to report it securely via GOV.UK.
For more details on HMRC’s ongoing efforts to combat tax fraud, visit gov.uk.
Originally published by UKNIP.
