ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

The case of a shopfitter who dodged a whopping £2.5 million in tax to splurge on luxury cars and holidays. HMRC first started investigating after a routine inspection found some VAT discrepancies in the company’s paperwork. The company owner first claimed that he’d just filled in an old template by mistake. When HMRC wasn’t satisfied, he changed his story. He said some paperwork had gone missing and that he had tried to recreate it but made mistakes. Investigators go directly to his bank to cross-reference the information on his account with the paperwork he’s given them. It doesn’t match up. They discover he’s been creating fake invoices to make it look like he’s spending money on genuine business costs. But in reality, he’s splashing the cash on luxury goods and holidays – including a Bentley for £123,000! Then he’s fraudulently claiming tens of thousands of pounds worth of VAT back from the public purse. And it’s been going on for years.

In another case, Trading Standards uncover a massive illegal tobacco operation that’s dodged over £50,000 in tax. They’re first tipped off by locals that a shop is selling illegal tobacco. They raid the shop with a specialist sniffer dog and seize a massive haul of 56,000 illegal cigarettes and seven kilos of rolling tobacco concealed in a hole behind some kitchen cabinets. Case closed? Not quite. Despite the ongoing investigation, information soon comes in that the shop is straight back in business and selling illegal tobacco again. Trading Standards raid again and again – in fact, five times in total. Each time, they uncover a new stash of illegal tobacco. In total, they seize 120,000 counterfeit cigarettes and 20 kilos of illegal tobacco. That’s around £170,000 worth of goods, and not a single penny of duty has been paid to the tax authorities. Illegal tobacco is a fraud that costs the UK economy £2.8 million every year and poses a significant risk to the health of those who smoke it.

We also follow an Environment Agency case as they investigate reports of illegal waste being dumped in an industrial estate. When they arrive on site, it turns out to be asbestos, a huge danger to public health and the environment. Can they trace who dumped it there?