Leeds shisha smugglers sentenced after being caught at airport

Wednesday, 16 January 2019 07:00

Two Leeds men who tried to smuggle more than 170kg of illegal shisha tobacco through Manchester Airport have been sentenced.

Tesfalem Keleta Kibreab, 31, and Tesfubr Tesfamrym, 50, smuggled 172kg of non-duty paid shisha tobacco into the UK after flying into Manchester from Muscat, Oman, via Dubai.

Kibreab had a suitcase with 90kg of tobacco while Tesfamrym was found with 82kg. The total duty evaded was £25,841.

They were stopped at Manchester Airport on 12 November 2018 by Border Force officers who referred the case to HMRC for investigation.

The men admitted knowing what was in the suitcases and pleaded guilty to the fraudulent evasion of excise duty.

Kibreab and Tesfamrym were each sentenced to nine months in jail, suspended for two years, and 250 hours of unpaid community work. Both men have already served two months in jail.

Adam Knight, Assistant Director Border Force North, said: “This is just one example of the crucial work that Border Force officers do every day to help keep the UK safe and protect the economy. Detections such as this are testament to their dedication and expertise.

“We will continue to work with HMRC to identify the people responsible for attempts like this and bring them to justice.”

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