A WOMAN tried to smuggle more than 45,000 cigarettes through Glasgow Airport, claiming they were a wedding gift for a pal. 

Oluwafemi Aina, from the city's Laurieston area, was stopped by Border Force officers and had three suitcases seized after flying into the airport from Amsterdam in February 2019. 

The 48-year-old had previously flown from Nigeria to Paris before travelling to the Netherlands. 

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Glasgow Times:

When she was interviewed in connection with the find, Aina claimed the 45,400 Benson and Hedges cigarettes had been bought in Nigeria as a wedding present. 

Following an HMRC investigation, she was found to have evaded £16,000 of excise duty. 

Aina was found guilty after trial at Paisley Sheriff Court on Thursday, October 19 and sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work to be completed over a year.

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Glasgow Times:

Lynsey Thompson, operational lead at Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: "Cheap cigarettes often fund organised crime and other illegal activity that causes real harm to our communities.

"We are determined to stamp out tobacco fraud by working closely with our Serious Organised Crime Taskforce partners at the Scottish Crime Campus.

"We urge anyone with information about tax fraud to contact HMRC online.

"Search ‘Report Fraud HMRC’ on GOV.UK and complete our online form."