FOUR men have appeared before York Crown Court today, accused of smuggling 1.9 million cigarettes into North Yorkshire.
Michal Wicko, Piotr Wicko, 32, and Marcin Muraczewski, 36, all of Cobham Closein Enfield, and Leszek Liczner, 47, of Dluzek, Lubsko in Poland, are all alleged to have been concerned in the evasion of £350,000 in tobacco duty owed to the British Government.
None of the four entered a plea in their hearings when they appeared by video link for preliminary hearings and their cases were adjourned until December 19 when they will all appear for a plea and case management hearing.
All four are accused of working together to take 1.9 million cigarettes from outside the UK to an area in Thorpe Wood, west of Selby.
Piotr Wicko, Muraczewiski and Liczner appeared at a joint hearing by video link from Hull Prison.
They were arrested in North Yorkshire. Michal Wicko, who was arrested in London, appeared in a separate hearing by video link from Pentonville Prison in London.
A translator in the courtroom translated all the proceedings in both hearings into Polish for the defendants, who were all remanded in custody.
No provisional trial date was set.
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