A TAXI driver caught transporting more than a tonne and a half of illicit tobacco was sentenced today after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Alan Clater, 62, was stopped by Wiltshire Police on the M4 near Swindon during a joint operation in March 2013.

Today Clater, of Hornsby Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court and was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

After police spotted the tobacco in a hire van, HMRC officers found boxes and bin liners containing 404kg of hand-rolling tobacco (HRT) and 1.199 tonnes of raw tobacco, worth an estimated £260,000 in lost excise duty.

Clater told officers he was travelling from Bournemouth to his Grantham home but took a wrong turn westbound onto the M4.

He was stopped on the M4 eastbound near Junction 15 during a four-day operation to crack down on motorists, targeting excise fraud and motoring offences.

Colin Spinks, HMRC's assistant director, criminal investigation, said: “We will not stand by and let crooks rip off the law-abiding public, stealing money that should be being spent on vital public services.

“These offences have a devastating impact on honest retailers who have to compete with the black market and on the nation’s finances, with around £2 billion lost in excise revenue each year."

Inspector Steve Cox, of the Roads Policing Operations Team, said: “We work closely with HMRC to ensure the success of joint operations targeting criminals on the M4 corridor.

"Today’s sentencing is proof of how working together can bring positive outcomes for the public. We cannot underestimate the impact of this sort of crime on the public purse and it is only right that this man was not able to get away with it.

“Proactive operations with HMRC not only act as a deterrent but we can make a significant impact on the excise fraud that these criminals are committing.”

The court ordered that the tobacco seized was to be destroyed.

Clater pleaded not guilty to being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the duty payable on tobacco by virtue of the Tobacco Products Duty Act 1979. This was in relation to the 404kg of HRT, evading duty of £66,300.44.

He also pleaded not guilty to taking steps with a view to the evasion of duty payable on tobacco by virtue of the Tobacco Products Duty Act 1979 by being involved in the transportation of rough cut tobacco.

This was in relation to the 1.199 tonnes of raw tobacco which, when processed, would evade duty of £196,767.89.

HMRC said that anyone who suspects cigarettes or tobacco is being illegally produced, smuggled or sold can help by calling the Customs hotline on 0800 59 5000.