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NRI among 4 jailed in major UK alcohol scam
An Indian-origin man is among four members of a criminal gang to be jailed for their role in one of the biggest alcohol smuggling frauds ever uncovered in the UK.
An Indian-origin man is among four members of a criminal gang to be jailed for their role in one of the biggest alcohol smuggling frauds ever uncovered in the UK.
The complex scam was worth an estimated 50 million pounds a year in unpaid duty and VAT and allowed the men to buy fast cars and luxury homes, investigators said.
The four men jailed included Davinder Dhaliwal, 32, who had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and fraudulent evasion of excise duty.
The other three are Kevin Burrage, Gary Clarke and Michael Turner.
They used their positions and contacts in the alcohol trade to conceal dozens of truckloads of alcohol being moved into Britain without paying tax or duties in a scam known as diversion fraud.
Sentencing them on Friday, Judge Michael O'Sullivan of the Canterbury Crown Court said: "All four of you were involved in a criminal enterprise to cheat the revenue. Alcohol was diverted in the UK without paying duty or tax due to the revenue."
Dhaliwal was jailed for 16 months, while Burrage was jailed for 10 years. Clarke was sentenced to six years, while Turner got three years, two months in jail.
Dhaliwal operated as Burrage's right-hand man, and organised the delivery of large quantities of alcohol ready for their distribution.
