Jun 27 - Local Man Charged - Almost £8,000 Worth Of Tobacco Seized
A local man has been charged with several tobacco-related offences.
Ernest Charles Balloqui, 36, of Rosia Dale, has been charged in connection with an incident dating back to February this year, when uniformed officers challenged a suspected cigarette smuggling operation and seized a vehicle containing a total of 185,000 cigarettes of various brands.
The charges are as follows:
- Possession of Cigarettes in a Commercial Quantity without a Licence
- Being Knowingly Concerned in the Attempted Exportation of a Commercial Quantity of Cigarettes without the Authority of an Export Permit, namely 60,000 Ducal Cigarettes, 10,000 Winston Cigarettes and 10,000 Fortuna Red Line Cigarettes
- Unlawful Transportation of Cigarettes in a Commercial Quantity, namely 60,000 Ducal Cigarettes, 10,000 Winston Cigarettes and 10,000 Fortuna Red Line Cigarettes.
The tobacco seized has a retail value of approximately £7,800.
Balloqui will be appearing before the Magistrates’ Court this morning.
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