A man and woman have admitted evading duty on almost 100,000 cigarettes and more than 100kg of tobacco.
Karwan Abu-Baker, 30, and Ekhlas Hassan, 29, both pleaded guilty to a charge of fraudulent evasion of duty at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday.
They evaded duty on 99,400 cigarettes, 107.98kg of hand-rolling tobacco, and 30kg of shisha.
The offence spans a period of more than two-and-a-half years between April 2014 and December 2016.
Hassan alone admitted a second charge of evading duty on 38,797 cigarettes and 9.35kg of tobacco on December 7, 2016.
The Iraqi couple, of Ayresome Park Road, Ayresome, Middlesbrough, were both bailed until sentencing on May 10.
Nicholas Cartmell, defending Hassan, said she acted as “biddable subservient, not an organising mind”.
He said she was a British citizen of previous good character.
Judge Sean Morris told her: “You did the right thing in pleading guilty to this.
“It makes a difference. It means a judge will be more lenient in sentencing.
“I will adjourn for reports. Don’t read into the fact that I’m granting you a probation report that it doesn’t mean it’s prison.”
