A gang that smuggled 150 million illegal cigarettes has been sentenced following a massive HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) surveillance operation.
HMRC said its investigators followed, photographed and recorded conversations between members of the Bolton-based gang between August 2017 and April 2018.
During the surveillance operation, the agency seized more than 2.5 million cigarettes, and nearly £1 million in cash in planned vehicle stops.
The gang members, who operated out of business premises in Lancashire and Staffordshire, were seen taking part in deliveries, van swaps, and exchanges of boxes and bags.
The men were convicted of smuggling 150 million cigarettes based on observations of 15 deliveries between October 2017 and February 2018, with the duty evaded totalling £41.6 million.
All 11 men pleaded guilty to their roles in the fraud during hearings between 2023 and 2025. Overall, five of the men were handed immediate sentences of more than 10 years in jail and another six received a further 10 years of suspended sentences at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday (23 April).
The accused are:
- Amit Patel of Westbourne Avenue, Bolton
- Jayun Bhudia of Herons Way, Bolton
- David Cook of Melling Mount, Liverpool
- Paul Dunbavin of Blenheim Drive, Prescot, Merseyside
- Altaf Hussein Patel of Weythorne Drive, Bolton
- Jack Mather of Highbrook Grove, Bolton
- Pshtewan Khaleed Majeed of Reservoir Road, Birmingham
- Yasir Ali of Whetley Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire
- Carl Coxon of Gairloch, Ross-shire
- Miralam Mohammed Khan of Settle Street, Bolton
- Arkan Hussein of no fixed address
The sentencing comes a day after BBC expose which revealed how organised gangs are using mini-marts and shady convenience stores to sell illicit cigarettes, drugs and even laughing gas, creating a hostile environment for legitimate, law-abiding retailers.
According to the report, BBC undercover investigators in the West Midlands found drugs including cocaine, cannabis, nitrous oxide and prescription pills being openly offered in mini-marts.
Legitimate businesses reported intimidation by gangs, alongside incidents involving knife and gun violence, creating what one law enforcement source described as a “lawless” stretch of high street.