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Chippy jailed over stashed £700,000
A Chorley chippy who stashed £700,000 at his shop and home to avoid paying tax and excise duty has been jailed for two years and four months.
Mustapha Aitbouzit, 62, of Brown's chippy in Parker Street, Chorley, pleaded guilty to the fraudulent evasion of excise duty and two money laundering offences following an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
It was searched by officers from HMRC and Lancashire Constabulary in April 2008 who found hundreds of thousands of pounds of cash notes packaged in white envelopes in white plastic bags and plastic containers and hidden under a bed and in the shop's cafe.
Illegal cigarettes and tobacco were kept under the counter and in a locked room above the shop with 11,840 cigarettes and 300g of hand rolling tobacco seized.
Later, search teams who raided his home on Stansted Road in Chorley, found 500,000 hidden in the garage and under bushes in the garden.
Around 2,500 cigarettes were seized from the house. Aitbouzit was selling cigarettes smuggled from Spain from the chip shop.
Mike O'Grady, assistant director of HMRC Criminal Investigations, said: "When officers searched Aitbouzit's properties it was like a game of hide and seek. We kept finding packets of money in such strange places it was obvious that the cash wasn't legitimate."
The laundered cash, amounting to 708,225.38, was detained under Proceeds of Crime legislation. Aitbouzit pleaded guilty to three offences at Manchester Crown Court.
HMRC detained approximately 200,000 from Brown's Chip Shop and from the unlicensed premises. A further court hearing will take place to determine what happens to the cash, which is currently subject to a forfeiture notice.
Daniel Proctor, 29, of Parker Street, said: "I am stunned as we go there every so often and I have spoken to the owners a few times. He always seemed really nice. It is a popular chippy and I thought fish and chips was all that they were selling."
Another resident, Robert Whitehead, 34, said: "It just goes to show that you don't know what is going on on your own doorstep. Everyone has to pay taxes and no-one should be able to get away with it."
Staff at the shop last week declined refused to confirm whether Mr Aitbouzit still owned the business.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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