00:00A lorry driver who attempted to smuggle over 6 million cigarettes through Dover port in Bentley car parts has been jailed for 31 months.
00:08Maidstone Crown Court heard today that this evasion cost the taxpayer £2.7 million.
00:14Andrew Silovatyuk, a 34-year-old man from Bresin, Belarus, was first stopped by Border Force officers at Dover.
00:21Prosecutor Rajesh Pabri told court that as officers examined Silovatyuk's lorry,
00:26a cable tie on the front plate bracket was spotted and caused suspicion.
00:31A search then revealed mismatched number plates, port documents only used by Border Force officers in the driver's cab,
00:38and over 6 million mixed-brand cigarettes hidden in freight boxes in the trailer.
00:44Silovatyuk was then arrested and cautioned, later replying no comment when being questioned.
00:48Two phones, one tablet, four SIM cards and a tachograph, a device used to track a vehicle's journey, were also found damaged.
00:57Judge Stevenson said that this is the second such case that he's had to deal with,
01:00and that it was clear to him that those above Silovatyuk were responsible,
01:05but that Silovatyuk was motivated by personal financial gain and that disposing of his phone was a serious factor.
01:13Silovatyuk's defence, Robert Levick, described him as a man of good character, no criminal record,
01:18and with a young family back in Belarus, asking the judge to take all of this into account.
01:23He first pleaded not guilty here back on September 2nd last year,
01:27but later admitted to the charge, leading to a reduced sentence from the judge.
01:32Now sentenced to serve 31 months, Silovatyuk's required to serve just over 12.
01:37The judge said that he will then be released unlicensed to serve the rest within the community,
01:43but may be subject to immigration detention and removal.
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