A driver who installed a James Bond-style revolving number plate system on his van to evade border detection has been sentenced to four years imprisonment after attempting to smuggle £2.7 million worth of cigarettes into Britain. Andreu Silivaniuk, 34, concealed the contraband inside hollowed-out Bentley car parts during multiple trips between continental Europe and the UK before border officials uncovered his operation.
Silivaniuk appeared at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent on January 15th, 2026, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of fraudulent evasion of excise duty. The court heard that between March and September 2025, he made at least seven trips transporting cigarettes hidden within automotive components, avoiding approximately £2.1 million in tobacco duty and VAT that should have been paid on the smuggled goods.
The rotating number plate mechanism, similar to technology featured in James Bond films including "Goldfinger" and "Die Another Day," allowed Silivaniuk to display different registration numbers at the press of a button. Border Force investigators discovered the device during a routine vehicle inspection at the Port of Dover in September 2025, prompting detailed examination that revealed the concealed cigarettes.
"This was sophisticated smuggling operation utilizing vehicle modifications specifically designed to deceive border officials," said Judge Philip Statman during sentencing. "The revolving number plates demonstrate premeditation and deliberate attempts to frustrate detection. The scale of duty evasion, exceeding £2 million, represents serious economic crime demanding substantial custodial sentence."
The court heard that Silivaniuk, originally from Moldova but residing in Leicester, purchased legitimate Bentley parts including doors, bonnets, and boot lids at auctions and breaker's yards. He then hollowed out cavities within these components, filling them with cigarettes purchased in Eastern European countries where tobacco taxes remain substantially lower than British rates. The parts were loaded onto his van and transported to Britain under the guise of legitimate automotive parts trade.
Border Force officers testified that the rotating number plate system involved three different registration plates mounted on a motorized drum installed behind the van's front grille. A hidden switch in the cab allowed Silivaniuk to rotate between plates, displaying whichever registration he chose depending on circumstances. Investigators believe he used this capability to confuse automated number plate recognition cameras at borders and on motorways.
"The number plate system was professionally installed and well-concealed," explained Border Force Senior Officer James McKenzie in court testimony. "We've seen crude attempts to obscure or swap plates before, but this motorized mechanism represented unusual sophistication. It suggested significant investment in the smuggling operation beyond the cigarettes themselves."
Analysis of Silivaniuk's phone records, bank transactions, and vehicle movements revealed the smuggling network's scope. Prosecution evidence showed contact with suppliers in Poland, Romania, and Ukraine, where cigarette purchases occurred. Financial records indicated payments totaling over £340,000 to various individuals and businesses in these countries during the period Silivaniuk was operating.
Border Force estimated that Silivaniuk's seven confirmed trips transported approximately 4.2 million cigarettes. Based on British tobacco duty rates of 16.5 percent of retail price plus £6.33 per pack of 20, plus VAT, the total duty and tax evasion reached £2.14 million. The actual cigarettes' purchase cost in Eastern Europe likely totaled around £340,000, suggesting Silivaniuk's operation generated substantial profit even accounting for transport costs and the vehicle modifications.
The court heard that Silivaniuk claimed financial desperation motivated his actions, stating he owed debts to individuals he declined to identify and felt threatened. However, prosecution evidence showed he purchased a £45,000 Range Rover during the smuggling period and made cash deposits totaling £78,000 into various bank accounts, undermining his claims of financial hardship.
Judge Statman rejected mitigation arguments, stating that debt, whether legitimate or criminal, did not excuse systematic smuggling. "Your actions deprived the Treasury of millions in legitimate revenue. These duties fund public services and exist partly to discourage smoking for public health reasons. Your profit came at the expense of the public purse and public health policy."
Beyond the four-year sentence, Silivaniuk faces confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act, where prosecutors will attempt to recover assets representing his smuggling profits. Border Force indicated they would pursue the Range Rover, bank account funds, and other assets acquired during the smuggling period.
Tobacco smuggling represents persistent challenge for British authorities despite declining smoking rates. According to HMRC estimates, the illicit tobacco market cost the Treasury approximately £2.3 billion in lost revenue during the 2023-24 fiscal year. Cigarette smuggling accounts for roughly 13 percent of the UK tobacco market, down from peaks exceeding 20 percent in the early 2000s but still substantial.
The profit margins driving tobacco smuggling remain compelling for criminals. Cigarettes purchased in countries with lower tobacco taxes can be resold in Britain at significant profit even when sold below legal retail prices. A pack of cigarettes costing £2 in Poland becomes worth £13 in Britain at legitimate retail, creating incentive for smuggling even when selling well below official prices.
Organized crime groups have increasingly involved themselves in tobacco smuggling, viewing it as lower-risk than drug trafficking while offering substantial profits. Prison sentences for tobacco smuggling typically range from two to six years depending on scale and sophistication, considerably shorter than the decade-plus sentences for equivalent-value drug smuggling.
Silivaniuk's case demonstrates escalating sophistication in smuggling techniques. The revolving number plate system required technical knowledge, mechanical skill, and financial investment beyond simple contraband concealment. Border Force officials expressed concern that such technology might become more prevalent if criminals believe it provides effective detection evasion.
"We're seeing increasing professionalism in smuggling operations," McKenzie explained outside court. "Twenty years ago, smugglers might stuff cigarettes in their boot and hope for the best. Now we're dealing with sophisticated concealment methods, modified vehicles, and technology designed specifically to circumvent our detection systems. It's an ongoing arms race."
The Bentley parts concealment represented another layer of sophistication. Using legitimate automotive components as cover provided plausible explanation for cross-border transport and made detection more difficult. Border officials must balance facilitating legitimate trade against detecting smuggling, and methods exploiting authentic business activities complicate this balance.
Technology plays increasing roles on both sides. Border Force employs X-ray scanners, CO2 detectors identifying concealed human cargo, and heartbeat sensors, but resource constraints mean only small percentages of vehicles receive detailed inspection. Automated number plate recognition systems help track vehicle movements, but as Silivaniuk's rotating plates demonstrate, criminals develop countermeasures.
The case also highlights tensions between EU departure and border security. Post-Brexit customs arrangements created additional bureaucracy for legitimate trade while potentially offering new opportunities for smuggling. The increased volume of customs declarations and physical checks strain Border Force resources, potentially allowing sophisticated operations to slip through gaps.
Silivaniuk will serve half his sentence in custody before release on licence, meaning approximately two years imprisonment. Whether this deters others from tobacco smuggling remains questionable given the substantial profits available and relatively modest sentences compared to other serious crimes.
For Border Force, the case represents successful detection and prosecution but also recognition that Silivaniuk likely represents one of many operators. The cigarettes seized from his van, estimated at 620,000 in the September intercept, represent a fraction of the illicit tobacco entering Britain annually. Every successful prosecution suggests multiple operations remaining undetected.
The revolving number plates, now held as evidence, serve as physical reminder of smuggling sophistication. What began as fictional technology in James Bond films has become reality for criminals seeking advantages over law enforcement. Whether deployed for cigarette smuggling, drug trafficking, or other crimes, such innovations require equivalent responses from authorities struggling to stay ahead in detection capabilities.
Silivaniuk's four years behind bars provide time to reflect on whether £2.7 million in smuggled cigarettes justified the consequences. For the Treasury, Border Force, and public health advocates, the case reinforces determination to combat tobacco smuggling despite persistent challenges and limited resources. The battle continues at borders, ports, and checkpoints across Britain, where officials search vehicles hoping to find the next Silivaniuk before millions more in duty evades collection.