A lorry driver who smuggled 445 kilos of tobacco into the Port of Dover, has been jailed for 14 months.

Adam Zbigniew Tyszkiewicz, 42, from Poland, was arrested by Border Force officers in September 2015, when a large amount of hand-rolling tobacco was discovered in his lorry.

Following his arrest at Dover’s Eastern Docks, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) carried out an investigation and discovered that around £82,747 of duty was evaded.

Alan Tully, assistant director, fraud investigation service at HMRC, said: “Working closely with our Border Force partners, we work to prevent smuggled tobacco from reaching the UK’s streets. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2.1 billion a year in lost revenue. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.

“Anyone with information about the illegal importation or sale of tobacco should contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000.”

Tyszkiewicz pleaded guilty to evading excise duty on smuggled tobacco. He was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, October 23, and is to serve half of that time in jail.