A driver caught with 30,000 smuggled cigarettes in his car has been spared jail.
Steven Karim was driving a Hyundai car on July 2 last year when he was pulled over by police on Farndale Road, Benwell, Newcastle. Several large cardboard boxes were visible in the car and Karim claimed he was taking items to Gateshead to help someone with a house move.
A search revealed the boxes contained cigarettes with foreign writing on and which had not had UK duty paid on them, having been smuggled in. There were 30,000 Richmond cigarettes, 20,000 Lambert & Butler and 10,000 of another brand. The court heard the total duty evaded on them was £25,446.
The court heard Karim, 24, of Joan Street, Benwell, had been stopped around a week earlier and found to have 5,600 cigarettes but prosecutors did not pursue charges in relation to that.
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Karim claimed a man had approached him and asked for help for a house move and said he didn't know what was in the boxes and intended to take them to a corner shop. However he abandoned that story and later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of duty on cigarettes. Karim said he had been "stupid and gullible" and should have looked in the boxes.
He was sentenced to six months suspended for 12 months with 200 hours unpaid work. Judge Robert Adams told him: "You recognise the risk to the public of unregulated cigarettes, you don't know what's in them, effectively."
David Robinson-Young, defending, said Karim came to this country alone as a child having been separated from his mother on the way from Iraq. He said he grew up here with a foster family and regards himself as English.
He added: "He suffers from a lack of judgement and a lack of maturity. He thought he was helping someone, albeit he was paid £120 for that.
"He deeply regrets what he has done. He is a respected member of the community and is known to help people in the community."
The court heard he has his own car valeting business and is remorseful for his offending.
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