South Essex pair pictured in gallery of 2012's top tax cheats by HMRC

3:00pm Wednesday 9th January 2013 in Local News

Kevin Burrage Kevin Burrage

TWO south Essex men have been named in a list of the UK’s top tax cheats as part of a campaign to drive down tax evasion.

A four-man gang, including Kevin Burrage, 49 of Ravendale Way, Shoebury, and his brother-in-law Gary Clarke, 55, of Maplin Way North, Thorpe Bay, were jailed last year for their part in one of the biggest ever alcohol smuggling frauds in the UK.

They have been named by HM Revenue and Customs, along with 30 others, after the Government invested £917million to tackle tax evasion and fraud in 2011/12.

In total the 32 top tax criminals in 2012 were sentenced to more than 150 years behind bars.

Gang ringleader Burrage led the scam, which was worth £50million a year in unpaid duty and VAT.

The cash allowed the four men to spend out on high performance cars, including Bentleys and Range Rovers, and luxury properties throughout Europe.

Burrage owned Promptstock Ltd, a bonded warehouse in Essex, which Clarke managed, and the gang used it to import and export alcohol without paying a penny in tax.

Accomplice Michael Turner, 53, from Folkestone, Kent, owned Keytrades (Europe) Ltd and provided a seemingly legitimate cover for movements of the alcohol.

While Davinder Singh Dhaliwal, 33, from Dartford, Kent, operated as Burrage’s right hand man, organising the delivery of large quantities of alcohol ready for distribution.

The gang bought branded beer, wine and spirits from warehouses in France and imported it duty free into the country.

They were eventually snared through an undercover HMRC operation and arrested in a series of dawn raids in November 2008.

Martin Brown, assistant director of criminal investigation for HM Revenue and Customs said: “This gang was interested in nothing further than lining their own pockets at the expense of honest taxpayers.

“HMRC will not stand by and let criminals rip off law-abiding public.”

Burrage was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and sentenced to ten years in prison. He was also disqualified from being a company director for 12 years.

Clarke was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and sentenced to six years, nine months imprisonment.

Turner was sentenced to three years, two months behind bars, and Dhaliwal was handed a 16 month sentence.

Comments(19)

Rochford Rob says...
3:34pm Wed 9 Jan 13

I saw the Mrs of one of them on the 127 recently. Still driving her Merc with personalised plates.

Who said crime doesn't pay? It does. Nicely.

Mind you, if the were fiddling councillors they'd get off scot free !

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A.I.K. says...
4:15pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Theyve still got 2/3 very nice cars on their rather large drive down Ravendale!

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Devils Advocate says...
4:49pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Invested £917 million to tackle fraud? How much of that went towards tackling expenses frauds and backhander deals in our government departments? Do villains have the same elitist viewpoint as this government, who are now capping the lowest paid workers(Who are paid such paltry sums, they have to be subsidised by benefits) to 1% benefit increase, regardless of how much the fat cats raise their profit margins this year?

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Shoebury_Cyclist says...
5:06pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Big deal. I'll be impressed when our government of fat-faced pig millionaires go after their friends the corporations and make them pay their way.

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Alfiee says...
5:37pm Wed 9 Jan 13

But you can commit Murder and get less. Honesty does not pay now days sad very sad. They need to also put how many PMs on the same list I dread to think.

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bumper says...
6:17pm Wed 9 Jan 13

do not see any mps mug shots yet
or are they above the law...

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Rochford Rob says...
6:45pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:
Big deal. I'll be impressed when our government of fat-faced pig millionaires go after their friends the corporations and make them pay their way.
Do you mean people like Bliar, the Millepedes, Mangledbum, Chukus Urmunny and Co? those millionaires. Oops, sorry, they were the last lot.

All socialists apparently.

Ant & Dec, sorry Drippy Dave and Gideon might be millionaires and I have no time for them, however if you take that huge chip off your shoulder you'll find theirs is inherited from family business. i.e earned. Mainly.

Idiot.

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Sensible of Leigh says...
10:20pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Incredible! Tax fraud by the million by gangsters and all some people can think of is to have a go at under valued and under paid MPs.

We get the MPs we deserve - wonder how many of those who complain actually get involved in politics is any way, even bothering to vote!

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asbo. just the truth says...
10:34pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Sensible of Leigh wrote:
Incredible! Tax fraud by the million by gangsters and all some people can think of is to have a go at under valued and under paid MPs.

We get the MPs we deserve - wonder how many of those who complain actually get involved in politics is any way, even bothering to vote!
agreed. it's the expenses innit is a poor but frequently used excuse for the lazy, fat arrsed waste of spacers not voting.

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Brunning999 says...
2:20am Thu 10 Jan 13

Alfiee wrote:
But you can commit Murder and get less. Honesty does not pay now days sad very sad. They need to also put how many PMs on the same list I dread to think.
Idiot !

Have you never stopped to think that without tax collection there would be a lawless environment throughout the country, no water, no electricity, no police, no hospitals, no fire service the list goes on and on and on.

Taxes you idiot pays for the good of the entire country and if we all did like these thieving barstools did we would all be in serious problems.

Tax evasion to that extent is without doubt the most serious offence committed, it is against all our principles and hopes for the future and committed by anyone is enough committed by members of Parliament is even worse.

This guy should lose all his wealth until all that he owes is paid back, the sentence given is correct and tne full term should be served unless he pays up in full.

As for having personalized car number plates these should also be confiscated,

Well done HMRC please continue on your quest to catch large scale tax evaders, my only concern is the cost of collection must be must be proportionate with the cost of detection.

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Eutraveller says...
5:56am Thu 10 Jan 13

Not just the tax evasion, what about honest traders who lost far more due to the cost advantage these criminals had when selling the illicit alcohol, honest people could not compete.

I trust HMRC will now be recovering losses by way of asset confiscation, leave these people destitute, they deserve this.

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notinwestcliffanymore says...
7:06am Thu 10 Jan 13

I will be more impressed when HMRC make Amazon Google and starbucks etc pay up, £ 50 mill per year on booze and fags just shows how over taxed we are just to make up the short fall.

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notinwestcliffanymore says...
7:12am Thu 10 Jan 13

Plus if i was make that sort of money i would not be living in shoebury,

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notinwestcliffanymore says...
8:37am Thu 10 Jan 13

"making"

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maxell says...
8:58am Thu 10 Jan 13

I detect some due standards here why did HMRC let of vodaphone for millions, and as stated above , google, starbucks, Amozon, the problem as I see it is self made, its proven that stores can still make profit even in 50 -75% sales, does this mean that goods are 50-70% more than they could be , people are being forced to buy cheaper, so if wine or electricals or any other consumer goods are up for grabs at a cheaper price this will create an instant market, (moonshine) its supply and demand, is the government really that nieve to think that people are not going to attempt to keep the life style that is being slowly eroded away, it may be curupt but then surly its more curupt for a government department HRMC to decide who should escape taxes, (Iam refering off course to vodaphone) this even plssed cameron off "not that it did much" once again go for the soft target. Instuction from global elitists NWO.

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mr fast says...
11:35am Thu 10 Jan 13

A.I.K. wrote:
Theyve still got 2/3 very nice cars on their rather large drive down Ravendale!
Yes i have noticed The Black Ranger Rover is still at the house- i guess these were put in the name of the wife/son/daughter or dog!- why havent the authorities taken these under he proceeds of crime act ?

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runwellian says...
12:28pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Without doubt, crime does pay!

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Shoebury_Cyclist says...
2:27pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Rochford Rob wrote:
Shoebury_Cyclist wrote:
Big deal. I'll be impressed when our government of fat-faced pig millionaires go after their friends the corporations and make them pay their way.
Do you mean people like Bliar, the Millepedes, Mangledbum, Chukus Urmunny and Co? those millionaires. Oops, sorry, they were the last lot.

All socialists apparently.

Ant & Dec, sorry Drippy Dave and Gideon might be millionaires and I have no time for them, however if you take that huge chip off your shoulder you'll find theirs is inherited from family business. i.e earned. Mainly.

Idiot.
I've told you before, there's no need to sign your posts.

Cameron's millions come from his father, mostly made through offshore tax havens, likewise Osborne.

I was referring to the likes of Starbucks, Costa coffee, Amazon, Vodafone etc. who have all been let off billions in corporate taxes.

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RobertFS says...
3:11pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Brunning999 wrote:
Alfiee wrote: But you can commit Murder and get less. Honesty does not pay now days sad very sad. They need to also put how many PMs on the same list I dread to think.
Idiot ! Have you never stopped to think that without tax collection there would be a lawless environment throughout the country, no water, no electricity, no police, no hospitals, no fire service the list goes on and on and on. Taxes you idiot pays for the good of the entire country and if we all did like these thieving barstools did we would all be in serious problems. Tax evasion to that extent is without doubt the most serious offence committed, it is against all our principles and hopes for the future and committed by anyone is enough committed by members of Parliament is even worse. This guy should lose all his wealth until all that he owes is paid back, the sentence given is correct and tne full term should be served unless he pays up in full. As for having personalized car number plates these should also be confiscated, Well done HMRC please continue on your quest to catch large scale tax evaders, my only concern is the cost of collection must be must be proportionate with the cost of detection.
Agreed - but why does it take so long to put these thieves away?
Confiscate all their assets - no sympathy for wives and other family members. I have no doubt they knew what was going on and therefore they should not be allowed to retain any assets - houses, cars, boats and jewellery etc

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