B
BB-Leo
Guest
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21185891-5006785,00.html
Men spared jail for cigarette smuggle
February 07, 2007
TWO men who smuggled 3.8 million cigarettes into Australia in boxes purported to contain children's radios have avoided jail sentences.
The Victorian County Court was told today the fake Marlboro cigarettes illegally imported from China would have resulted in avoiding more than $800,000 in excise.
Mahammed Larabi and Mohamed Bakkar, both 36, were charged with conspiracy to obtain financial advantage by deception over the scam.
The court was told that documents submitted to customs stated 405 cartons contained children's radios.
However, a random customs check made on December 2002 found only 25 of the cartons actually contained the radios and the remaining 380 boxes concealed 3.8 million counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes from China.
No information was available about how the cigarettes were landed in Australia, the court heard.
Larabi, of Auburn in NSW, was found guilty of the charge by a jury and was released on a recognizance of $1000 to be of good behavior for two-years-and-six-months. He was also fined $3300.
Bakkar, of Newport in Melbourne, pleaded guilty to the charge and was released on a recognizance of $1000 to be of good behavior for two years. He was fined $1000.
The court was told Larabi was the financier of the operation and Bakkar was the importer.
Judge Bill White described the conduct, which would have resulted in avoiding the payment of $806,000 in excise, as "seriously dishonest".
ity:
Men spared jail for cigarette smuggle
February 07, 2007
TWO men who smuggled 3.8 million cigarettes into Australia in boxes purported to contain children's radios have avoided jail sentences.
The Victorian County Court was told today the fake Marlboro cigarettes illegally imported from China would have resulted in avoiding more than $800,000 in excise.
Mahammed Larabi and Mohamed Bakkar, both 36, were charged with conspiracy to obtain financial advantage by deception over the scam.
The court was told that documents submitted to customs stated 405 cartons contained children's radios.
However, a random customs check made on December 2002 found only 25 of the cartons actually contained the radios and the remaining 380 boxes concealed 3.8 million counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes from China.
No information was available about how the cigarettes were landed in Australia, the court heard.
Larabi, of Auburn in NSW, was found guilty of the charge by a jury and was released on a recognizance of $1000 to be of good behavior for two-years-and-six-months. He was also fined $3300.
Bakkar, of Newport in Melbourne, pleaded guilty to the charge and was released on a recognizance of $1000 to be of good behavior for two years. He was fined $1000.
The court was told Larabi was the financier of the operation and Bakkar was the importer.
Judge Bill White described the conduct, which would have resulted in avoiding the payment of $806,000 in excise, as "seriously dishonest".
ity: