Glasgow off-licence owner admits dodging £47,000 in alcohol duty
A Glasgow off-licence owner, exposed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as the king-pin in an illicit alcohol supply ring, has been sentenced today at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
A Glasgow off-licence owner, exposed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as the king-pin in an illicit alcohol supply ring, has been sentenced today at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
39 year old Raminder Singh Gosal who ran Mindy’s Mini Mart on Glasgow’s Shettleston Road, pleaded guilty to counterfeiting thousands of UK excise duty labels and evading over £47,000 in alcohol duty.
Gosal used the counterfeit labels to divert alcohol, intended for sale abroad, into the local market and evading the UK excise duty.
Anne-Marie Gordon, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said:
“Gosal’s actions cheated the exchequer out of significant sums of money, which funded a lifestyle well beyond his legitimate income. His counterfeiting fraud allowed him to sell cases of spirits at a very low price, giving him an unfair advantage over his honest competitors.
“Gosal set out to deliberately defraud taxpayers and line his own pockets at the expense of vital public services, which alcohol duty helps to fund. HMRC won’t hesitate to investigate where we suspect that illicit alcohol is being sold. The public’s help is vital, so if you see something, say something, and call the Customs hotline on 0800 59 5000.”
When Gosal was arrested in autumn 2011, counterfeit UK duty paid alcohol labels and substantial sums of sterling, dollars and euros found in his Porsche, van and shop and were seized.
Steps are also now being taken to assess the extent of Gosal’s criminal profits and to recover his ill-gotten gains.
Gosal was given a 10-month supervised probation and must complete a 200 hour community payback order.