Jan 27 - Winston Churchill Avenue arrests (Special Zone) & Magistrates’Court judgement

Officers of HM Customs arrested two men today for refusing to obey a direction given to them to leave a Special Zone regulated under S11 of the Tobacco Act.

The men, two Spanish nationals aged 30 and 33 from La Linea, had been directed to leave a S11 Zone, namely, the Winston Churchill Avenue area, upon being suspected by Customs that their presence in the vicinity was primarily related to unlawful cigarette exportation. They were subsequently detected by Customs Officers on patrol in the same area who found both men attempting to hide behind a stationary vehicle.

Both men have been bailed to surrender on Feb 20th.

In an unrelated matter, a 40 year old local man was sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court. Paul BYRNE was arrested on December 23rd by Customs Officers who had seen him throwing goods over the frontier fence at British Lines Road that evening; an act contrary to the provisions of S91 of the Imports & Exports Act. Subsequent to a guilty plea, Paul BYRNE was sentenced by the Magistrate to a penalty of £2,000 and given one month imprisonment in default of payment.