Smugglers’ gang leader jailed for 21 months

A FORMER Warrington man, described as the ringleader of a gang that smuggled cigarettes through UK airports, has been jailed for 21 months.
Two other men and one woman from Warrington were also sentenced at Manchester Crown Court, along with two other men from St Helens and Liverpool.
Dennis Jamie Connolly, 43, (pictured) an airline cabin crew employee, from Southport but previously from Warrington, had pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to conspiring with others to deal in smuggled goods and evade UK duty under the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).
He now faces a confiscation hearing under Proceeds of Crime legislation. The court was told Connolly booked 131 smuggling trips for himself and others using discounted employee travel privileges.
Barry Roy Gwynn, 39, an office worker, of East Avenue, Stockton Heath, was sentenced to eight months jail suspended for two years and
ordered to undertaken 120 hours unpaid work. He had booked 12 smuggling trips for himself and others. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with Dennis Connolly to deal in smuggled goods and evade UK duty under CEMA in August.
Terence Steele, 57, of Croxteth, Liverpool, was sentenced to 12 months jail suspended for two years and ordered to undertake 120 hours community work. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with Dennis Connolly to deal in smuggled goods and evade UK duty under CEMA.
Dale Martin O’Brien, 38, of St Helens, was sentenced to 12 months jail suspended for two years, ordered to undertake 120 hours of unpaid work and to undertake Think Skills Programme. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with Dennis Connolly to deal in smuggled goods and evade UK duty under CEMA.
Paul Thomas Rigby, 44, of Lovely Lane, Warrington, was sentenced to eight months jail suspended for two years and a three-month curfew. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with Dennis Connolly to deal in smuggled goods and evade UK duty.
Adele Jenkinson, 41, an airline flight attendance, of East Avenue, Stockton Heath, partner of Gwynn, was sentenced to 14 months jail
suspended for two years and ordered to undertake 200 hours community work.
She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with Dennis Connolly to deal in smuggled goods and evade UK duty.
The court was told that HM Revenue and Customs found that Connolly
had organised over 13 smuggling trips, for himself and five others, using airline staff discounts.
The gang hid cigarettes and tobacco worth £180,000 in evaded duty and
taxes in their luggage.
Sandra Smith, assistant director, criminal investigation, HMRC, said:
“Airline employees hold a position of trust and abusing such privileges in order to smuggle is a serious matter. Connolly organised subsidised travel purely for smuggling purposes. There are no excuses for smuggling, whatever your status.
“Tobacco fraud costs honest taxpayers more than £2 billion a year, undercutting honest businesses, and drawing people into wider criminality. Anyone with information about illicit tobacco sales or smuggling should contact the Customs’ Hotline on 0800 59 5000.”
The court was told the gang were caught out when three of them were stopped by Border Force officers at Liverpool John Lennon Airport on two separate dates.