Smugglers hid cigarettes from Eastern Europe to avoid £10m tax duty jailed | Mail Online

Smugglers hid cigarettes from Eastern Europe to avoid £10m tax duty jailed | Mail Online: "Nine members of a smuggling ring which helped the Italian Mafia flood Britain with millions of black market cigarettes were jailed for more than 30 years today.

The offenders teamed up with a notorious family to sneak contraband tobacco past customs inside consignments of pickled vegetables, dog food and orange juice.

Prosecutors estimate the gang ripped off the taxpayer by up to £10m by evading duty on the cheap imports from Eastern Europe.

Wine merchant Peter Vyse, who was described as the 'main organiser' was jailed for seven years for masterminding the scam - the maximum sentence available."

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