A fruit and vegetable importer based at Heathrow Airport has been fined £5,500 for trying to avoid inspections charges and customs duties, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has said.
Mr Ranbir Ubhi, director of Apex Freight Services Limited, has been found guilty of three separate breaches of European Community (EC) marketing standards.
Charges were brought against the Hayes-based firm and its director for repeatedly making inaccurate import notifications to the DEFRA and HM Customs electronic import entry systems.
The RPA said Ubhi and his business were intending to avoid potential DEFRA inspection charges and import duties.
Operations director Paul Caldwell said: “The actions of this agent enabled imported fruit and vegetable consignments to enter the UK without the appropriate regulatory quality and labelling checks.
“Concerted efforts were made by the HMI to work closely with the agency with face-to-face meetings, verbal warnings and formal written notices, all aimed at achieving improved compliance from the company. Prosecution was a last resort in order to protect the public and other traders.”
Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court found the company guilty of two offences under the Marketing of Fresh Horticultural Produce Regulations 2009, issuing fines of £2,500 and £2,000 respectively.
Mr Ranbir Ubhi was also convicted of offences in his capacity as a director of the company and was fined £1,000 and asked to pay full costs of £2,486 bringing a total financial sanction of £7,986.
Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), whose members represent 80 per cent the horticultural fresh produce sector, said: “FPC and HMI have successfully worked together to reduce the administrative burden on importers, with simplified procedures providing significant savings to the industry.
“It’s outrageous that there are individual traders who are deliberately flouting the rules, to the detriment of law abiding companies. We support this action by HMI to get tough on unlawful trading.”
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