Tobacco Smuggling Trial Through Manchester Airport

Two friends from Liverpool attempted to evade over £50,000 in tax by smuggling cigarettes and tobacco through Manchester airport. Ahmed Barakat, 34, and Elaine Wright, 54, were investigated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), after being caught at the airport by Border Force officers earlier this year. In January 2015, the pair arrived on the same flight from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and appeared to be travelling separately with other parties. Barakat was stopped and was found to have 103,000 cigarettes and 13.5 kilos hand rolling tobacco (HRT) in his luggage. Wright was then caught with 21,400 cigarettes and five kilos HRT in her luggage –despite the personal allowance for cigarettes from Egypt being 200. During his interview with HMRC investigators, Barakat admitted he was trying to evade excise duty and tax so he could sell the cigarettes for profit in the UK

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/merseyside-pair-tried-smuggle-103000-9752550