Cigarette gang for sentence

The three men and one woman pleaded guilty to money laundering in July after officers found more than 670,000 cigarettes at their homes and rented property in raids two years ago.

Police specialising in economic crime seized boxes of cigarettes imitating popular brand names, which they believe were smuggled in from Eastern Europe.

Officers also recovered thousands more manufactured for sale outside of the United Kingdom and experts estimate the group avoided paying more than 135,000 in tax.

Thousands of pounds in cash and lists of up to 200 names found by officers indicated a well established distribution network used to sell the cigarettes.

One member of the gang has already been sentenced for his part in the operation.

Peter Haigh, aged 62, from Staincross, received a six month suspended prison term, six month supervision order and was fined 300 for storing criminal property at his factory.

Paul Dansby, 33, from Gawber, James Sanders, 35, from Athersley, Kevin Porter, 59, from Monk Bretton, and 32-year-old Nicola Leishman, from Athersley, are due to be sentenced after being convicted of money laundering.