Securing Convictions for Untaxed Counterfeit Cigarette Distribution Network

Cameron Brown secured 11 convictions relating to un-taxed counterfeit cigarette distribution network, targeting the UK’s illicit cigarette market. R v M and Others. Cameron Brown, as leading junior, successfully led Danielle Graham in an HMRC investigation into this cigarette distribution network. In total 11 defendants were convicted at Nottingham Crown Court. Sentencing and confiscation hearing took place in August 2018.

Update on UK’s Illicit Cigarette Market

Since then, according to The Guardian, HM Revenue and Customs says it has halved the size of the UK’s illicit cigarette market and cut that for illicit hand-rolling tobacco by a third. With the support of additional enforcement bodies, HMRC announced that it seized for the 600 million illicit cigarettes and 137 tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco, with a combined tax value of £232m, prosecuting almost 200 people and convicting 100 of tobacco excise fraud. However, tobacco fraud remains a significant and persistent problem. In the year 2014-15 HMRC estimates that it cost the UK £2.1bn in lost revenues.

Cameron Brown Practice Overview

Cameron is principally instructed in serious and complex fraud and corruption cases. He regularly acts as leading counsel in such cases. He has significant experience in the prosecution and defence of cases involving fraudulent trading, ponzi schemes, money laundering, benefit fraud, duty evasion, conspiracy to defraud, Fraud Act related offences, VAT/carousel fraud, carbon credit fraud and cheating the public revenue.

Cameron’s work as nominated disclosure counsel has led to a detailed working knowledge of PII, RIPA and other disclosure issues. He has acted in two different cases where the schedule of unused material has exceeded 300,000 pages. He has also advised on the use of evidence from foreign jurisdictions and offences committed abroad. He has experience of visiting prosecuting authorities abroad to liaise in respect of obtaining and the use of foreign evidence. Cameron has been SC vetted and has lectured at the Inns of Court School of Law in relation to ethics and to the City of London Police in relation to fraud offences. He has contributed to Lexis-Nexis in relation to bankruptcy and insolvency offences and Westlaw in relation to cheating the public revenue/ VAT fraud and is author of the newsletter ‘Fraud Matters’.

Cameron is currently instructed in a number of serious and complex corruption and fraud cases.