TWO JEWELLERS ARRESTED FOR EVADING #440,000 OF

TWO JEWELLERS ARRESTED FOR EVADING #440,000 OF VAT
ATTEMPTED TO CARRY ON THEIR BOGUS OPERATION EVEN AFTER THEY WERE

BAILED, A COURT HEARD.

SELLING GOLD AND SILVER UNDER SIX FICTITIOUS NAMES AND USING

ACCOMMODATION ADDRESSES FOR THEIR ML, THE BUSINESSMEN POCKETED THE

VAT INSTEAD OF HANDING IT OVER TO CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, MR ANDREW

COLLINS, QC, PROSECUTING, TOLD AN OLD BAILEY JURY.

THEY WERE ROBERT NEIL, 48, OF OVINGTON GARDENS, CHELSEA, AND

VICTOR POULTON, 33, OF MULBERRY HOUSE, BROMLEY ROAD, SHORTLANDS.

AFTER REGISTERING FOR VAT AND SELLING THE PRECIOUS METALS

THEY POCKETED THE 15 PER CENT TAX ON EACH SALE, THE JURY WAS
TOLD.

THE COMPANY WOULD THEN ‘DISAPPEAR’ – ONLY TO RE-EMERGE IN

ANOTHER GUISE AND START THE OPERATION ALL OVER AGAIN, IT WAS ALLEGED.

SALES THROUGH ONE FICTITIOUS COMPANY OVER A FOUR MONTHS

PERIOD AMOUNTED TO WELL OVER #2 MILLION.

AND IT NETTED THE PAIR
A MASSIVE #357,000 PROFIT IN UNPAID VAT, SAID MR COLLINS.

‘EACH OF THE SALES THAT ADDED UP TO THAT ENORMOUS AMOUNT
OF MONEY WERE DESCRIBED AS GOLD SCRAP’, SAID COUNSEL.

THE JURY WAS TOLD THAT GOLD COULD BE ACQUIRED VAT FREE
EITHER THROUGH ANOTHER ‘MISSING TRADER’ OR FROM MEMBERS OF THE

PUBLIC SELLING THEIR SCRAP JEWELLERY.

‘IT IS NOT ALLEGED THAT THEY WERE SMUGGLING, BUT GOLD CAN BE

AROUND AND AVAILABLE VAT FREE’, SAID MR COLLINS.

‘IF YOU’RE GOING TO

OPERATE MISSING TRADER FRAUD IT’S SENSIBLE THAT YOU GET YOUR

SUPPLIES VAT FREE AND YOU MAKE A JOLLY GOOD PROFIT ON YOUR RESALE.

‘
ARRESTED IN MARCH, 1984, AND BAILED THE TWO MEN WERE SOON

‘SETTING IT ALL UP AGAIN’, CONTINUED COUNSEL.

BUT WHEN THIS TIME CUSTOMS AND EXCISE OFFICIALS WERE TIPPED

OFF AND PRESENT WHEN A DEAL WAS BEING MADE IN BIRMINGHAM THREE

MONTHS LATER.

THE JEWELLERS HAD BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH METALOR, OF
WARSTONE LANE, BIRMINGHAM, AND USING A VAT CERTIFICATE OF A
DEREGISTERED COMPANY, ADDED MR COLLINS.

NEIL AND POULTON DENY TWELVE CHARGES OF FRAUDULENTLY

EVADING VAT AND SUBMITTING FALSE DECLARATIONS.

A THIRD MAN, ARTHUR ROBINSON, 63, OF BAIRSTOW STREET,

BLACKPOOL, WAS ORIGINALLY CHARGED ON SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS BUT
IS NOT STANDING TRIAL BECAUSE OF ILL HEALTH.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES AND IS EXPECTED TO LAST 10 WEEKS.

ENDS.