Thousands of illegal cigarettes were recovered by authoities

A smuggler was caught at the Edinburgh Airport, she was trying to pass the immigration and customs clearance counters without checking. Officers at UK Border Agency checked her and recovered more than 33,800 cigarettes from her baggage. She was travelling from Poland to Scotland. 15000 were found in her hand carry and remaining from her excess luggage.

Police said that the girl will have to cough up £9000 after admitting in the court that she was attempting to avoid the excise duty by sending the cigarettes through proper channel. Paisley Sheriff Court heard how this girl came in UK. She is a student from Dundee, named Iwona Monica Kowal, she was caught third time and found involved in the illegal activities and drug trafficking. UK Border Agency Lawyer told the honorable Court that previously she was caught at Glasgow airport after flying from Poland to Scotland.

The girl was last intercepted at the Glasgow airport when she was carrying contraband goods worth of £15,800 and investigated by the HM Revenue & Customs Officers on the spot. She was issued with a warning at the time.

Officer told that the maximum limit is 200 cigarettes which a passenger can carry and that was mentioned in her first warning as well. On all the three occasions, she claimed that the trips to Poland were funded by her own money and savings. The cigarettes, she was carrying were for herself and she is a heavy smoker. She told the officer that she smokes 2 to 3 cartons of cigarettes every week.

“HM Revenue & Customs had suspicions that someone was funding these trips and that she was bringing these cigarettes into the country for onward sale.” Said the lawyer from UKBA.

Defence claims that the girl became heavy smoker because of her family issues. She smokes to help her deal with the misery she felt.