FRAUDSTERS who were caught red handed with 246kg of smuggled tobacco have been jailed.

Revenue and Customs officers had been keeping watch on Graham Kay and Soran Salih, and pounced as the two men parked up in a street in Hunger Hill to examine their van load of contraband.

Self-employed bedroom fitter Kay, aged 38, of Worcester Street, Halliwell, and car wash worker Salih, aged 25, of Broadoak Lane, Bury, each pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulently evading excise duty at Bolton Crown Court.

The total evaded amounted to £87,871.60.

Guy Mathieson, prosecuting, told the court that on the evening of May 24 last year Salih and Kay, each driving a van, met up at Barton Grange Garden Centre and then drove to nearby Pendlebury Fold, where they backed vehicles up to each other and were in the process of examining the contents of a large number of boxes in Salih’s Renault Trafic van when they were approached by HMRC officers.

Mr Mathieson said the boxes in Salih’s van contained 246kg of Golden Virginia tobacco on which £40,000 duty should have been paid.

A subsequent search of Kay’s industrial unit at Halliwell Business Park resulted in the discovery of 20 cases of 200,000 Superkings cigarettes on which almost £46,000 duty should have been paid.

At Salih’s house officers also found £3,300 cash in a cupboard and 12 kilos of tobacco on which £1,956 duty had not been paid.

Peter Cunliffe, defending father-of-two Kay, said he had financial worries and was moving the tobacco products and storing them in his unit on behalf of someone else in return for payment.

“It was a foolish decision in the extreme,” said Mr Cunliffe.

Mark Friend, defending Salih, said the father of one, who moved to Britain from Iran in 2004, had struggled to find work to support his family.

“He was provided with an opportunity to make some money and he took it,” he said.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy Clayson, jailed Kay for 14 months and Salih for eight months.

The cigarettes were seized and recycled as fuel for the National Grid and Salih’s van and cash have been confiscated. Kay’s van was a hired vehicle.

Speaking after the case Mike O’Grady, assistant director of criminal investigation for HMRC, said: “We are determined to tackle the ongoing problem of illicit tobacco sales across Greater Manchester. My message is clear to anyone engaged in this illegal activity - HMRC will pursue those who ignore the rules on the sale, storage and supply of illicit tobacco.”

A hotline has been set up for the public to report illegal trade in cigarettes and tobacco on 0800 595000.