How taxi driver and airport workers had secret plot to smuggle cocaine into BirminghamMalik, 24, of Paignton Road, Edgbaston, and Vaughan Henry, 46, of Willsden, London, had previously been convicted of importing a controlled drug following a trial at Birmingham Crown CourtFour men including a taxi driver and two crooked baggage handlers have been jailed for their roles in a plot to take three kilos of cocaine to Birmingham.
Adnan Malik was about to drive to the city with the drugs, which had been smuggled through Heathrow, when officers from the National Crime Agency swooped.
Malik, 24, of Paignton Road, Edgbaston, and Vaughan Henry, 46, of Willsden, London, had previously been convicted of importing a controlled drug following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Julia Faure Walker, prosecuting, said that Samuels had been the coordinator or broker between the baggage handlers and a man called Goldie, the drugs wholesaler in Birmingham.
Henry worked for BA , Anand was a team supervisor while Malik had been recruited by Goldie to collect the drugs from outside the airport.
She said that there had been a “dummy run” on October 15 last year when a bag was put on a flight which landed at Heathrow.
Miss Faure Walker said that from Whats App communications it appeared that a third baggage handler was involved.
Text messages sent by Malik to his girlfriend indicated he was expecting to be paid £1,000.
A rucksack, containing three blocks of cocaine with 80 per cent purity, was put on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 4 February arriving the following day at 1.23pm.
Julia Faure Walker, prosecuting, said that Samuels had been the coordinator or broker between the baggage handlers and a man called Goldie, the drugs wholesaler in Birmingham.
Henry worked for BA , Anand was a team supervisor while Malik had been recruited by Goldie to collect the drugs from outside the airport.
She said that there had been a “dummy run” on October 15 last year when a bag was put on a flight which landed at Heathrow.
Miss Faure Walker said that from Whats App communications it appeared that a third baggage handler was involved.
Text messages sent by Malik to his girlfriend indicated he was expecting to be paid £1,000.
A rucksack, containing three blocks of cocaine with 80 per cent purity, was put on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 4 February arriving the following day at 1.23pm.
On that day both Anand and Henry arrived earlier than they were due to at the airport and Anand removed the ruck sack while it was still airside and gave it to Henry to store in his locker.
Henry then found a moment to take the bag from the airport, leaving by a staff exit.
He then travelled by bus to meet Malik where the bag was put in his taxi.
Miss Faure Walker said communications between the men suggested that a further importation was planned.
In Passing sentence Judge Peter Carr said: “This was an operation that must have taken some time in planning,” while he said Anand and Harris had “abused their position and trust and responsibility as employees at Heathrow.”
William Evans, for Samuels, said that those in Birmingham had wanted someone in London closer to where the importation was to take place, that he was to be paid £10,000 and that there were others higher up in the chain.
source:
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/mi ... s-13856056
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