A BUSINESSMAN is facing a long prison sentence after being found guilty of trying to smuggle more than five million counterfeit cigarettes into Britain through Southampton.

Revenue and Customs officers seized the haul after finding it concealed in a container of Lever Arch files at the city's Western Docks.

Judge John Boggis slammed Kevin Coller for trying to con him and a jury that he had been duped into taking part in the scam.

He told him that his performance in the witness box at Southampton Crown Court had been appalling.

"You lost your credit by pleading not guilty and you must expect a lengthy prison sentence."

The court heard that Customs officers discovered more than 1,000 boxes each containing 5,000 cigarettes in cartons.

Prosecutor Tim Moores said the duty evaded on the consignment, which had come from Malaysia, amounted to £927,000.

Counterfeit The cigarettes purported to be Benson & Hedges but when experts from the company examined them, they were found to be fakes.

The city crown court heard the consignee of the ship was a promotional firm in Wandsworth, London, with which Coller was involved.

Coller, 51, who lives in South West London, denied being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of duty, but Mr Moores alleged there was "a clear trail of evidence" linking him to the enterprise.

Coller had contacted a freight forwarding company in Southampton, arranging for the paying of shipping charges and the onward delivery.

Following his arrest, Coller told investigators he was involved in the selling of football merchandise and in 2004 he went to Hong Kong for a football-related event and met a man called Bob.

Two years later, Bob - who the court heard was Bob Teasdale - contacted him "out of the blue" that he wanted to move goods from the Far East to the UK but they were insufficient to fill up the container and he wanted someone to help fill it.

Coller claimed he thought he was going to only receive Lever Arch files which he thought he could sell on and knew nothing about the cigarettes and was entirely innocent. "He said it was all down to Bob who had effectively used it and made him look like a mug."

Mr Moores said Customs officers had not been able to speak to Mr Teasdale, who lives in Malaysia, but a sequence of e-mails between the pair showed Coller played "a vital link in the chain" in the smuggling operation.

Coller had bail extended pending sentence next month but was ordered to surrender his passport and report twice weekly to the police.

Defence lawyer David Reid said Coller had no illusions about the sentence he was facing but asked for bail to put his business affairs in order and tell his parents about his conviction.

"They don't know the situation he's in," the lawyer explained. "He also wants to keep his companies afloat and keep deals on track."