Sussex Police in the UK has charged 16 individuals with plotting to steal more than £2.4m ($2.9m) worth of duty free cigarettes from Gate Gourmet.

The company supplies duty free cigarettes for sale onboard to airlines at London Gatwick Airport

The 16 men and one woman are all charged with money laundering and conspiracy to steal from their employer, with Sussex Police estimating the value of the cigarettes at £2,432,665 ($3.629,536) in duty free retail price terms.

All 16 have now been released on bail to answer the charges at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 6 May. Sussex Police say the plot was discovered during a long running undercover investigation into duty free thefts at Gatwick Airport.

GATE GOURMET CALLED IN POLICE
The Gate Gourmet company cooperated totally with police, having alerted them when stockkeeping records indicated that goods appeared to be missing.

 

Police add that all suspects were originally arrested in a series of raids back in July 2013, but have only recently been charged after a full and lengthy investigation.

Those individuals charged include: Christopher Allen, 53; William Ayling, 61; Mindagas Baranauskas, 35; Richard Beaumont, 59; Pietro Bernone, 28; Durell Corbin, 48; Keith Gosling, 57; Viktorija Gudonyte, 32; Alan Hunt, 57; Cezary Kosobudzki, 50; George Messenger, 56; Gerald Monaghan, 51; Stewart Morris, 53; Peter Simmonds; Karamjeet Singh, 53; and William Webber, 49.