Brest truck driver jailed in UK for $3.5 million smuggling operation
Andrei S., a 34-year-old truck driver from Brest, has been jailed in the UK for smuggling cigarettes worth approximately $3.5 million. He was transporting the goods in a trailer disguised as Bentley car parts, but the cargo did not reach its recipient — it was stopped at the Port of Dover, writes the "Piershy" (First) publication.
Consignment of smuggled cigarettes found in a truck trailer at the Port of Dover. Photo: HMRC
During an inspection, border control officers noticed a suspicious detail on the license plate mounting — a cable tie. This led to a more thorough inspection of the truck, during which a system of rotating license plates was discovered.
The mechanism allowed changing registration data (there were two sets of plates: from the Polish city of Łuków and Warsaw) to bypass controls and CCTV cameras.
Smartphone with a broken screen — one of the devices the driver tried to destroy after detention. Photo: HMRC
In the trailer, 6,349,800 cigarettes of various brands, port documents, and fake license plates were found. The total damage to the British budget from such smuggling is estimated at approximately £2.7 million (about $3.5 million). Inside the truck cabin, a damaged phone and tablet were also found (the driver himself tried to destroy them), along with four SIM cards, a tachograph, a handwritten note with an additional number, and seals for disguising openings. Forensic examination confirmed that Andrei S.'s fingerprints were on the rotating license plate mechanism.
The case was heard at Maidstone Crown Court. The judge noted that although the main responsibility lies with the organizers of the scheme, the truck driver also acted out of personal greed. The attempt to destroy communication devices during the cargo inspection was considered an aggravating circumstance.
The lawyer requested a lenient sentence, noting that Andrei had no previous convictions, is a husband and father of three children, and his family remains in Belarus.
Initially, Andrei pleaded not guilty, but later changed his position. On January 10, 2026, he was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison without the right to appeal, meaning he will effectively spend over a year in detention. After his release, he will remain under supervision and may be deported from the country.
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