A Fife man who was found trying to drive almost a quarter of a million illicit cigarettes home from Blackpool has been handed a hefty fine.
James Dalrymple was stopped on the M6 in Cumbria as he drove back to his Leven home.
Officers discovered the haul and handed the case to HMRC for investigation.
They found Dalrymple had been attempting to evade over £60,000 in excise duty in April this year.
Dalrymple, 65, of Glen Grove, Leven, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraudulently evading excise duty at Carlisle Magistrates Court last month.
He appeared for sentence on Friday and was ordered to pay a £4,000 fine, £340 costs, a £120 surcharge and had his van confiscated when he appeared at Carlisle Crown Court.
If the cash is not paid in 12 months he will face three months’ imprisonment.
Sandra Smith, assistant director for HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Dalrymple was caught red-handed with a massive amount of illicit cigarettes. He thought he could make a quick profit at the expense of honest shopkeepers and taxpayers but he was wrong.
“Illicit cigarettes cause real harm to communities across the country.
“They take over £2bn away from essential public services and are sold to young and vulnerable people without any care for rules or regulations.”