A Basingstoke man has been jailed for his role in smuggling cigarettes into the UK.
Former RAF Sergeant Stuart Walker, 43, of Loggon Road, was sent to prison for two years by Bristol Crown Court on February 4.
Walker pleaded guilty to conspiring to evade duty on cigarettes along with Corporal Stuart Helens, 31, from Wiltshire, and senior aircraftman Paul Garbutt, 31, from County Durham.
Walker was arrested by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at RAF Odiham on June 29 in 2009 on suspicion of fraudulent evasion of excise duty.
He was charged on December 8 in 2009 with smuggling the cigarettes from Oman.
Judge Michael Longman said that all the airmen were motivated by greed and had made handsome profits at the expense of the public.
The court heard how the trio had smuggled at least seven million cigarettes into the UK on military flights from Oman and Afghanistan, pocketing up to £30,000 each in the operation.
The non-duty paid cigarettes were smuggled into RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire and RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, in 2008 and 2009.
Analysis of mobile phones, computers and other documents by HMRC found that one million cigarettes had been smuggled in on flights from Oman. Around £204,000 in duty and VAT had been evaded.
Another six million cigarettes were smuggled in on flights from Afghanistan, evading almost £1m in taxes.
Adrian Farley, HMRC’s assistant director of criminal investigation, said: “This was a blatant abuse of trust, which required careful planning to smuggle huge quantities of cigarettes into UK airbases and onto the UK's streets.
“Not only did this criminal gang undercut honest retailers, but, ironically through their actions to evade duty, these airmen deprived the UK and their fellow servicemen and women of vital public funds.
“We will continue to work closely with the military to root out this kind of illegal activity and disrupt criminal operations wherever possible.”
Enquiries began after RAF police stopped a van containing 10,000 L&M brand cigarettes at RAF Lyneham on April 30 in 2009.
In the early hours of that morning, HMRC officers discovered a further nine boxes, each containing 10,000 cigarettes. It is believed that the cigarettes were destined for sale in the north east of England.
In a statement, the RAF said: “Any abuse of the RAF air transport service for the illegal importation of contraband is viewed very seriously and appropriate action will always be taken against those who break the rules.”
Helens was jailed for three years and Garbutt was jailed for three years and four months.
