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Perth woman Julie Pauline Gregory fined $8000 after being caught smuggling cigarettes into Australia

Daryna ZadvirnaThe West Australian
VideoAn attempt to avoid paying $1500 in cigarette duty taxes has cost a Perth woman $8000 after she was caught smuggling more than seven cartons under her clothes.

An attempt to avoid paying $1500 in cigarette duty taxes has cost a Perth woman $8000 after she was caught smuggling more than seven cartons under her clothes.

Australian Border Force officers made the discovery after searching Julie Pauline Gregory’s baggage at Perth Airport in July last year.

When advised she would be frisk searched, the 56-year-old removed the seven cartons and three individual packets hidden in and under her clothing.

A further 17 packets were found in her baggage, as well as an open packet in her handbag. In all, close to 1900 cigarettes were found.

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She was trying to avoid paying $1500 in cigarette duty tax.

A Perth woman has been fined $8000 after being caught trying to smuggle cigarettes into Australia.
Camera IconA Perth woman has been fined $8000 after being caught trying to smuggle cigarettes into Australia. Credit: Australian Border Force/supplied

On her incoming passenger card Ms Gregory declared she did not have more than the duty free allowance of 25 cigarettes.

ABF officers also found evidence that she was selling cigarettes to friends and other contacts on her phone.

Ms Gregory was charged with cigarette smuggling, evasion of duty and making false statements and received a fine of $8000.

This was an audacious attempt to smuggle cigarettes into Australia.

An application by her lawyer for a spent conviction was refused at the Perth Magistrate Court yesterday.

“This was an audacious attempt to smuggle cigarettes into Australia to avoid paying duty,” ABF Regional Commander for WA James Copeman said.

“The ABF relies on passengers to be truthful in their declarations, but if they don’t our officers have the commitment and the means to detect even small amounts of smuggled cigarettes and tobacco.”

In the 2019-20 financial year the ABF seized more than 175 tonnes of loose-leaf tobacco and 421 million cigarettes, with the amount of duty evaded totalling some $608 million.

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