A criminal gang of four has been found guilty of operating a large-scale illegal tobacco factory in Birmingham, following a major police investigation that uncovered goods and cash worth around half a million pounds.
From Traffic Stop to Factory Raid
The investigation began in May when officers stopped a car in Birmingham's Southside area. Inside the vehicle, police discovered an arsenal of weapons, including a baseball bat, a wooden club, a metal bar, and a knuckle duster. This discovery prompted detectives to launch a wider probe into the group's activities.
Their enquiries led them to an address in Perry Barr, which was being used as a sophisticated illicit tobacco production site. During a raid on the property, police arrested four individuals: Mei Yun Wang, 45, Honpeng Yang, 46, Zheming Han, 23, and Xing Cai Lin, 50, all of Nash Square.
Massive Haul of Contraband Uncovered
At the Perry Barr address, officers seized a staggering haul. They found more than 400 kilograms of hand-rolled tobacco, with an estimated street value of £177,000. Alongside the tobacco, they confiscated over 4,500 illicit cigarettes and approximately £33,000 in cash.
The investigation did not stop there. Detectives later uncovered two further storage units in Aston and Walsall. These containers held an additional £275,000 worth of tobacco, bringing the total value of seized tobacco to just over £450,000. The container in Walsall was registered to Mei Yun Wang.
Conviction and Official Statements
All four defendants denied the charges but were found guilty after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court. They were convicted of conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, and money laundering. The gang was also found guilty of conspiring to defraud the Japan Tobacco Group.
Detective Inspector Tom Lyons of West Midlands Police stated: "The value of cash and illegal goods seized shows the financial gain made by criminals at the expense of law-abiding citizens, which is something we'll keep cracking down on."
David Broadbent, Operational Lead at HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, highlighted the broader impact: "The tobacco produced at illegal factories like this undermine legitimate retailers, funds wider organised crime, and harms public health. The weapons and cash seized shows the link between tobacco fraud and other serious criminality."
Detective Constable Amy Sheldon-Wilson added that the investigation uncovered defendants who had defrauded the public revenue of an estimated four million pounds and spent decades evading law enforcement while remaining in the UK unlawfully.
