Fine for smuggling goods
A Margate trader has been fined a total of £1,800 and ordered to
pay £150 costs, after pleading guilty to keeping smuggled goods on
licensed premises in one of the first cases of its kind in the
country.
Officers from Thanet District Council’s Licensing team, along
with police officers and officers from Trading Standards and the
Police’s Licensing Unit, raided the Lido Snooker Club, which is
part of the Lido leisure centre complex in Cliftonville, on the
afternoon of Thursday 24 April.
On the bar were three pairs of trainers, complete with boxes,
for sale. Behind the bar, there was a large display of inks in
cardboard boxes and rewritable DVDs for sale. One unopened pack of
50g Golden Virginia tobacco, hand rolling tobacco and cigars were
also found in the bar area. In an office behind the bar, bottles of
spirits, tobacco and a box containing 100 zenegra tablets, a Viagra
alternative, were found. A list of boat departures to France from
Dover, complete with a shopping list, was also discovered in the
office, along with a business card for a Belgian tobacco
seller.
The search then expanded to include the Cliff Bar and Echoes
French Bar, which make up the remainder of the Lido complex. No
further smuggled goods were found in these premises, but no
premises licences were on display in any of the three
properties.
Neville John Borck of Eastern Esplanade, Cliftonville was the
premises licence holder of all three premises and was charged with
three counts of failing to display a premises licence and one count
of knowingly keeping smuggled goods on licenced premises. This
latter charge is a new offence under the 2003 Licensing Act and
this case is believed to be one of the first in the country to be
heard.
During an interview with council officers in May, Mr. Borck
confirmed that the tobacco, cigarettes, cigars and spirits that had
been found had come from France and Belgium and that no duty had
been paid on them. Information from HM Customs and Excise showed
that he had used his vehicle to cross the channel 17 times in the
previous 18 months.
Mr. Borck pleaded guilty and was fined £750 for the charge of
keeping smuggled goods and £350 for each count of failing to
display a premises licence. He also had his personal licence to
sell alcohol revoked and was ordered to pay the council £150 costs.
An order was made by the magistrates to destroy the tobacco,
cigarettes, cigars and spirits found during the raid.
Cllr. Jo Gideon, Cabinet Member for Safer Neighbourhoods, Health
and Communities, said: “This case sends out a tough message to
anyone tempted to smuggle goods into the country. Offences like
this are treated exceptionally seriously, as the sentence handed
down shows. Our officers have worked hard on this case with their
police and Trading Standards colleagues and have achieved a good
result here. It’s particularly pleasing to see that the magistrates
revoked the personal licence to sell alcohol, especially as this is
not a power that the council possesses.”
ENDS