A MONEY-LAUNDERER who is battling cancer has been jailed after more than 80,000 black market cigarettes and thousands of pounds in criminal cash were discovered at his Selby home.

Neighbours called in police when they saw a door at Andrew William Watson’s home had been left open and he had not been seen for several days. When officers checked out the property, they discovered the huge haul of illegal tobacco.

Watson, 64, is now starting a 12-month prison sentence after York Crown Court heard he stored the cigarettes and money at his home for another man.

Simon Ostler, prosecuting, said the search at Watson’s home in Portholme Villas last August discovered 78, 140 Bon International cigarettes, 4,800 other cigarettes plus £25,590 in cash.

“The matter came to the attention of police when his neighbours became concerned because they had not seen him for a couple of days and a door was open. After a search, they found large amounts of tobacco within the garage in vacuum-packed containers and large amounts of cash in the house. It became apparent Watson also had access to a lock-up garage where 2,000 further cigarettes were found.

“In terms of the value of the tobacco, a rough police calculation has put it at £19,438.”

The cigarettes were seized in a joint operation between the police and HM Revenue & Customs Nigel Clive, for Watson, said: “It appears the police had their thumb upon the pulse of what was happening. It shows the level of sophistication for this defendant and his place in the chain of offending that police found the tobacco and cash because he went away leaving his door wide open.

“He finds himself at the most vulnerable point of his life as his cancer has been diagnosed as ongoing and, at some point, his condition will worsen. He is a gruff Yorkshireman, but that is not to say he is without concern and he will not find things easy, given his age.” Watson admitted money-laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act.