Bradford taxi driver caught smuggling £4 million of heroin into the UK jailed for eight yearsA Bradford taxi driver, who was caught smuggling a £4 million haul of heroin into the UK, has been jailed for eight years.
Muhammad Shafiq Khan, 44, claimed he had flown to Pakistan because his grandmother had died.
Khan was caught at Manchester Airport trying to smuggle heroin with a street value of over £4 million.
He was sentenced to eight years imprisonment at Manchester Crown Court yesterday.
Khan pleaded guilty to importation of a Class A drug.
Khan, who is originally from Pakistan but lives in Bradford and works as a taxi driver, was stopped as he returned from Pakistan on Sunday, June 30.
He told Border Force staff he had made the trip as his grandmother had recently died.
An initial inspection of one of his smaller cases found drugs hidden in its base.
Border Force officers then emptied his larger suit case and noticed that it weighed far more than expected. An x-ray then revealed drugs hidden in the lining of the case.
Tests showed that Khan tried to import 15kg of heroin with an estimated street value of £4,080,000.
Sam Bullimore, Assistant Director for Border Force at Manchester Airport, said: “I would like to praise the hard work and vigilance of our officers.
“Technology plays a key part in many of our detections but the skills and expertise of our officers have been the critical factor in recent successes.
“Our efforts mean a substantial quantity of harmful drugs has been kept off the streets.
“We will continue to work hard to keep our borders safe and crack down on drug smuggling.”
A Border Force spokesman said: “Investigations are ongoing in this case and any assistance that can be given would be treated in the strictest confidence. Anyone who has information on this case, or any illegal activity linked to smuggling, please ring the hotline number 0800 59 5000.”
source:
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