Gang members jailed over alcohol scam

Four members of a criminal gang have been jailed for their role in one of the biggest alcohol smuggling frauds ever uncovered in Britain.

The scam was worth an estimated £50m a year in unpaid duty and VAT and allowed the men to buy fast cars and luxury homes. They used their positions and contacts in the drinks trade to conceal dozens of truckloads of alcohol being moved into Britain without paying tax or duties. The ringleader, Kevin Burrage, 49, was jailed for 10 years and Gary Clarke, 55, for six years nine months after being convicted of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue at Canterbury Crown Court. Accomplices Michael Turner, 52, and Davinder Dhaliwal, 32, were jailed for 38 months and 16 months respectively after pleading guilty.