Two smugglers were caught after unloading illegal 96,000 cigarettes in a car park being used by the Met Police driving school.

Zoltan Havocs, of Armstrong Avenue, Woodford Green, was jailed for nine months alongside Istvan Noga on Friday (November 18).

Prosecuting, Martin Mulgrew told St Albans crown court that, on October 17, Noga drove a lorry into the car park of the Rookery Café near Hatfield in Hertfordshire.

The 96,000 cigarettes, which had been hidden behind a false panel in the lorry, were loaded into laundry bags and put into a small white Peugeot van at around 3.50pm.

Mr Mulgrew said: "Unfortunately for these defendants the car park was being used by the Met Police driving school who were alerted by a member of the public.”

The two men were arrested and £70,000 Havocs had brought to pay for the cigarettes was seized.

The pair planned to dodge £28,000 in tax duty with the smuggling operation.

Noga, 48, of no fixed address, and Havocs, 36, pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of duty before being handed their sentences.

Defending Havocs, Matthew Lawson said others were involved and that he was a “foot soldier”.

He said Havocs had been working in the bar and restaurant trade, but had found it hard to get work after attending a college course.

Mr Lawson said: "He is going to go back to his birth country. Things started well for him here, but ended badly.”

Defending Noga, Marie Spenwyn said he was in financial difficulties, was divorced, and cared for his sick, elderly mother in Hungary.

Jailing them, Judge Andrew Bright QC said: "The message has to go out loud and clear to all those who might be tempted to smuggle contraband that if they get caught they go immediately to prison.

"It is widespread and on a large scale and there has to be substantial discouragement to those tempted to do it."