British authorities dismantled a network that smuggled six million cigarettes into the United Kingdom / Two Romanians were sentenced to prison

British authorities have dismantled a smuggling network that illegally introduced approximately six million cigarettes onto the United Kingdom market, goods estimated to be worth two million pounds. A café in Northampton was used as a front for the operation, and investigators estimate that the group caused losses of more than two million pounds to the public budget.

Three members of the network were sentenced on Friday, 25 September, at Northampton Crown Court, following an investigation conducted by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The cigarettes were stored in an isolated unit near the town of Brixworth, which was searched in February 2021.

The “Mon Cher” café, run by 51-year-old Romanian Alin Latco, was the base of the operation. Surveillance cameras captured members of the group carrying bags of money into the premises. Investigators found £67,000 hidden in a bag, while a further £349,000 was recovered after Piotr Baranowski was stopped in traffic.

Latco was sentenced to four years and four months in prison, while Adrian Ghergel, also Romanian, was sentenced to four years. Xoshawi Kalend received a suspended sentence and unpaid work. Sebastian Warzuchowski had been sentenced in 2023, while Baranowski is due to be sentenced on 23 October. HMRC is urging Britons to report illegal tobacco sales.