Ex-Consett milkman Paul Joyce jailed over cigarette smuggling fraud
- Published
Paul Joyce fled to Asia while other members of his gang were due to answer bail on excise duty evasion
A former County Durham milkman who masterminded a plot to smuggle 10m cigarettes into the UK has been jailed seven years after fleeing to Thailand.
Paul Joyce, 41, originally from Consett, fled to the Far East in 2008.
In April, he was captured at a luxury hotel in the coastal resort of Hua Hin and extradited back to the UK.
He admitted the fraudulent evasion of excise duty when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court earlier and was jailed for two years and 11 months.
Joyce was arrested in a joint operation between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Thai police.
HMRC said its investigators tracked down airline records which showed he had travelled to Bangkok in December 2008.
It added mobile phone evidence confirmed his status as the gang's "kingpin" as it evaded paying £1.7m in excise duty.