Apr 18 - Two Spanish Nationals Fined In Tobacco Smuggling Case
Two Spanish nationals were fined £8,000 after pleading guilty to the possession and exportation of nearly £12,000 worth of cigarettes.
David Lopez Lopez, of La Linea, and Jose Maria Lopez Aguilera, pleaded guilty to the charges before the Magistrates’ Court today.
The case dates back to February this year when the defendants were on a small white RHIB trying to leave Gibraltar. They were approached by HM Customs officers and were found to be in possession of 20,000 Chesterfield cigarettes and 99,980 Ducal Red cigarettes in boxes placed in black bin liners. They were charged with the possession and the exportation of the cigarettes, and Lopez Lopez was charged with having a radio transceiver without a licence while his co-defendant Lopez Aguilera was also charged with obstructing a Customs officer. They pleaded guilty to all charges.
Their lawyer Craig Fortunato told Stipendiary Magistrate Charles Pitto his clients had no previous convictions and they were remorseful and had young families.
Mr Pitto imposed an immediate fine of £8,000 on the defendants. He ordered for the cigarettes to be destroyed, as well as the radio transceiver and the RHIB.
Sharon Peralta appeared for the Crown.
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