The men pleaded guilty to smuggling cigarettes

Michael Brown, 45 and his brother Reginald Brown, 51, and Stephen Wright, 44, all from Wellingborough, Northampton, bought cigarettes at Luton airport in Bedfordshire while posing as international travellers on more than 100 internal Easyjet flights.

Customs and Excise spokesman John Powell told BBC News Online the men exploited a loophole for travellers which was tightened after the terrorist attacks in 2001.

He said the trio evaded almost �250,000 in duty on cigarettes purchased during internal trips.

Mr Powell said: "Easyjet passengers were given a re-useable plastic-coated boarding pass which was handed in at the gate.

"These men made a few trips to Geneva, Switzerland, which is not in the EU, and obtained a boarding pass, then made up to a total of 117 flights from Luton to Liverpool, Edinburgh and Glasgow."

Mr Justice Bell said at Luton Crown Court on Thursday that Michael Brown evaded a total of �115,535 in duty, Wright �102,366 and Reginald Brown had evaded �22,574 in duty payments.

An order was made that Michael Brown must sell a second property he owns in James Street, Wellingborough and forfeit the proceeds to Customs and Excise.

Mr Powell said the other two men had no assets which could be sold.

The men had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiracy to evade excise duty between January 2000 and August 2001, and were remanded on bail.

The men are to be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on 20 June.