Three West Midlands members of a European cigarette smuggling gang have been ordered to repay a total of more than £1.6 million from the proceeds of their crimes or face further time in prison.
The gang members, Donald Southall, Robert Horton and Julie Henworth were jailed in March 2010 after masterminding the organised crime syndicate.
Southall, 56, of Sedgley, near Dudley, and Horton, 43, of Norton Canes, Cannock, were each jailed for four years and eight months after admitting tobacco smuggling. Horton's girlfriend Henworth, 42, also of Norton Canes, was jailed for two years after she admitted money laundering.
Horton controlled the European end of the operation from his base in Hungary. He would meet with potential suppliers and arrange the bulk transportation of the smuggled cigarettes by the lorry load.
Meanwhile, Southall operated the UK side of the criminal network and overseeing the arrival and distribution of the cigarettes.
Henworth sat at the heart of the operation as an administrator and ‘travel agent’. She arranged and paid for flights for numerous covert meetings between Horton and Southall in Europe and beyond.
Assets recovered at the time of their arrest included a motor yacht, properties in the West Midlands and Spain, a high performance classic vehicles including an E-type Jaguar and a Norton Commando motorbike, and expensive designer jewellery.
Horton has been ordered to repay £884,000 while Southall must repay £747,386. They have been given six months to pay or face an additional five years in jail.
Henworth has been given 28 days to pay back £16,000 or face a further 12 months in jail.
Adrian Farley, Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation for HMRC, said: “We all pay extra to compensate for the money these criminals stole from the UK taxpayer and with the economic challenges being faced by businesses and the public we will vigorously seek to recover their ill-gotten gains."
