Trio jailed after cigarettes are seized

Mar 23 2007

THREE Midland men have been jailed for a total of six years for attempting to smuggle 2.7 million cigarettes into the country.

Brothers Martin and Michael Pratt, from Walsall and their accomplice Peter Hudson, from Lichfield, were sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court.

All three had been found guilty on February 22 following an eight day re-trial.

The court heard that counterfeit cigarettes were detected by Customs officers at Portsmouth Ferryport as they searched a lorry belonging to Premium Freight Services Ltd.

The vehicle had arrived from Spain on board the P&O ferry The Pride of Bilbao on 29 October 2005. The cigarettes were concealed within pallets of parquet flooring blocks.

A total of 2,685,000 cigarettes were seized on which almost £405,000 duty was evaded.

The defendants had denied the charges and claimed they were using using a legitimate haulage firm.

Michael Pratt, aged 43, of Wolverson Road, Walsall Wood, Walsall, was jailed for 21 months.

Martin Pratt, aged 39, also of Wolverson Road, Walsall Wood, was jailed for 21 months while 41-year-old Hudson, of Lynn Lane, Lynn, Lichfield was jailed for 30 months.