A MAN caught with 39,000 illicit cigarettes in his car has escaped jail.
Unemployed Aran Mohammed Saied was pulled over on the A1 near Catterick in September because the car he was driving had no MoT.
Police then found 39,820 illicit cigarettes and £2,775 cash hidden in boxes inside.
The 33-year-old, of Ellesmere Road, in Newcastle, was convicted of excise duty evasion and was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court to nine months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and 150 hours of unpaid work.
In April 2015, he had been warned about duty evasion after being stopped at Edinburgh Airport attempting to smuggle 4,000 cigarettes and 30 cigars.
An HMRC spokesperson said: “He lied to police and ignored previous warnings for dealing in illicit tobacco. Now he is paying the price”.
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