• A haulage boss who was recently cleared of drug
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smuggling has been jailed for four years after he was caught trying to bring more than two-and-a-half million cigarettes into the country.
They were discovered in David Huff's trailer when he returned from the Continent with his son and a relief driver.
Maidstone Crown Court heard that his Volvo was stopped at Dover docks on 6 April 1998. Documents showed it was supposed to contain glassware and clothing.
The paperwork stated that the cargo was bound for a double glazing company In Grimsby—but managers at that company said they never imported goods.
Huff, owner of Brittanic International, based at a unit at Port Lympne, Kent, said he was to be paid 23,000 to pick up the load from Naples and expected to make about 2800 profit.
He told the court that he and relief driver Paul Hurst were told to go and get something to eat while the pallets were being loaded onto the trailer.
Hurst, who was being paid £300 and his expenses, was
supposed to drive the Volvo on to Grimsby. Huff, of Old Romney, Kent, denied evading duty and claimed he had no idea the cigarettes were on the trailer but the jury found him guilty by an 11 to one majority.
Judge Susan Hamilton QC told Huff that he had been found guilty of serious largescale commercial smuggling carried out under the name of his company.
"I will make no order for disqualification," she said. When you get out of prison you will need your licence to earn an honest living."
Huff has previous convictions for dishonesty, but in September he was cleared at Canterbury Crown Court of involvement in smuggling a £2m load of cannabis into Dover. His two fellow defendants in that case were jailed for 10 years and eight years.