THREE members of a £16million illegal tobacco gang have been ordered to pay back £175,000 or face another four years in jail.

Wayne Brown, Keith Allen and James Willmott were caught by HM Revenue and Customs HMRC buying illegal cigarettes and tobacco to sell on from Iqbal Haji in Blackburn during a surveillance operation in 2014.

In May 2016 Brown, a self-employed club owner, of Springvale Garden Village, Darwen, was sentenced to 13 months in jail after admitting to carrying cigarettes and tobacco on which duty had not been paid.

Brown, 52, owner of Blackburn’s Beechwood Club, has now been ordered to repay £67,616 within three months or face a further 18 months in prison at a Proceeds of Crime Application hearing.

As part of their probe HMRC investigators discovered Brown owned 12 rental properties in Darwen and Blackburn in addition to the club.

In 2016 retired Allen, 67, of West View, Oswaldtwistle, was jailed for four years after being found guilty of carrying cigarettes and tobacco on which duty had not been paid and one count of money laundering.

He was ordered to repay £65,444 within three months or face a further 18 months in prison.

HMRC found Allen had property, shares and savings worth £65,444.

In 2016 painter and decorator Willmott, 55, was sentenced to 16 months after admitting to carrying cigarettes and tobacco on which duty had not been paid.

Willmott, of Warwick Avenue, Clayton-le-Moors, was ordered to repay £42,000 within three months or face another 15 months imprisonment.

HMRC found Willmott had £42,000 from the sale of a house.

If the men fail to pay the amount they would serve extra time in prison but still owe the money.

Debbie Porter, from HMRC, said: “HMRC will recover money stolen through tax fraud for UK taxpayers. We will not allow criminals to profit from tax evasion. We are determined to create a level playing field for local businesses by disrupting the illegal trade and punishing the fraudsters."

Ringleader Igbal Haji, who worked for the Post Office and lived in Whalley Street, Blackburn, was jailed for six years after admitting to 10 charges of carrying cigarettes and tobacco on which duty had not been paid and one charge of money laundering.

Anyone with information about smuggled cigarettes and associated tax evasion should call 0800 788 887.