Fraudster Jailed For Smuggling Alcohol

A fraudster, who evaded nearly £60,000 in duty on smuggled alcohol, has been jailed, with his dishonest associate also sentenced after lying to investigators. Builder Dilbagh Singh Dhillon, 39, had 46,318 litres of alcohol stored in an industrial unit in Hounslow owned by Sartaj Singh Gill, 33. Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) seized the booze during a raid on 15 September, 2016. They found a diary with detailed recordings of alcohol orders and cash payments. Under questioning, Dhillon admitted owning the diary, but said that someone else had made the entries in the book. Handwriting analysis later proved it was his writing. Gill lied to officers and tried to cover for Dhillon by saying another individual was the tenant of the unit where the alcohol was stored. Investigators unravelled his story and Gill eventually admitted to providing a false witness statement.