A Bangladeshi man was jailed for five years at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of tobacco smuggling through Dover and laundering an estimated £434,000.

The revenue loss on the tobacco was estimated to be £3.3 million.

Saiful Chowdhury, 39, had first been intercepted by Revenue and Customs officers at Dover’s Eastern Docks on the November 10 2005. After questioning Chowdhury officers searched the van he was travelling in and discovered half a tonne of tobacco concealed in a load of clothing. He was also found to be in possession of approximately £8,500 in cash. He was arrested, interviewed and allowed bail whilst investigations continued.

Whilst on bail Chowdhury was intercepted twice more by officers at Dover each time at the outward bound controls and found to be in possession of a further £57,000 in July 2006 and £54,000 in September 2006.

These sums were seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act and he was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and as a condition of bail surrendered his passport.

Further investigation showed Chowdhury had set up a business account and between September and December 2006 had transferred in excess of £380,000 to a tobacco supplier in Belgium.

Malcolm Bragg, assistant chief investigation officer for HM Revenue and Customs, said: "This is an excellent result for our investigators who have worked hard to bring this case to its rightful conclusion."