A pair of fraudsters who evaded £46.5 million in tax by smuggling wine into the UK, have been sentenced for a total of 17 and a half years in jail.

Livio Mazzarello, 57, and, Louisa Mbadugha, 59 from Brent , who ran The Italian Wine Company Ltd from premises in Neasden , lied about the quantity of wine they imported and sold to evade excise duty and VAT.

An investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) found the pair used false paperwork and re-used import documents to smuggle large quantities of wine into the country from Italy.

Livio Mazzarello is being searched for after absconding

The duo sold the smuggled wine to retailers across the UK and Mazzarello, of Cricklewood Lane, laundered the proceeds of the fraud through the company using a string of bank accounts.

Both were found guilty on Thursday June 8.

Mbadugha, of Lewis Crescent, was jailed for three and a half years at the Old Bailey on Friday July 14.

Mazzarello, who absconded during the trial, was sentenced in his absence at the same court to 14 years on Friday June 30.

Mbadugha was jailed for three and a half years

Simon York, director of the Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Mazzarello and Mbadugha thought they had developed the perfect scheme to divert millions of pounds from public finances.

"They were stealing from the taxpayer and undercutting legitimate traders.

“The money they stole should have gone to fund vital public services, not straight into their pockets.

"They believed they could continue without fearing their criminal activities would be detected.

"They were wrong and we are working to reclaim any money they made from their crimes.

“We urge any member of the public who may have information about Mazzarello’s whereabouts or anyone committing tax fraud to get in contact with us by calling 0800 788 887.”

Mbadugha was jailed at the Old Bailey

In April 2013, HMRC and the Italian Customs Authority conducted a number of co-ordinated searches and arrests in the UK and Italy.

HMRC officers seized 70,000 litres of duty free wine and around £350,000 in cash, hidden in a concealed floor safe and above ceiling tiles at the company’s Neasden warehouse during the searches.

The extent of the fraud, committed between 6 June 2008 and 17 April 2013, is estimated at £46.5 million.

Proceedings are under way to reclaim any profit obtained from these crimes.

Upon sentencing Mbadugha, Judge Philip Katz QC, said: “You were foolish to be charmed by crooks.

"Your role [in keeping records] was critical otherwise this fraud could not have happened.

"Going to prison will have a profound effect on those you know and your standing in the community which has been destroyed."

Mbadugha was charged with the evasion of excise duty under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and with evasion of VAT under the Value Added Tax Act 1994.

Mazzarello was charged with evasion of excise duty under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, evasion of VAT under the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and money laundering contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

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