John Culatto
CUSTOMS in Gibraltar charged a local man for allegedly money laundering over £22 million from undeclared tobacco sales from 2015 to 2019.
Authorities arrested Rajesh Shivkishore Shukla, 62, of Montagu Gardens, the sole director of Riverwall Ltd in August 2020.
Prosecutors have now charged him with six offences under the Tobacco Act 1997.
The charges followed a long investigation that included searches of his shop and home where authorities seized large amounts of cash.
“The investigation revealed a large turnover of sales of tobacco which were largely inconsistent with the declarations made to the Income Tax Office,” Gibraltar’s Customs said in a statement.
“Therefore, the cash seized is alleged to form part of the proceeds from the criminal activity.”
Another charge relates to £61,816 of undeclared cash found in his possession.
He is alleged to have evaded tax on £1,187,075 and sold more than the legal limit of 200 cigarettes at one time to the same person.
Prosecutors charged Rohit Shukla, 32, of Montagu Gardens with ‘possession of approximately £17,219 of undeclared income in different currencies’, the statement said.
The case has been adjourned until March 17.
The charges follow a crackdown on tobacco smuggling in the region on both sides of the frontier.
ALSO READ:
- SHOTS FIRED: Spanish customs injured by stones while chasing smugglers onto Gibraltar beach
- Huge €2.1m haul of cigarettes from India seized in Bay of Gibraltar port investigation
- Man who had illegal store of tobacco fined £118,000 in Gibraltar
