A couple from Dudley, West Midlands, have been jailed for six years and eight months each after attempting to smuggle cocaine worth up to £1.75 million into the UK. Michael Williams, 37, and Jessica Waldron, 36, were arrested at Heathrow Airport in 2019 after arriving from Colombia.
The drugs, 22kg of cocaine, were concealed in their checked-in luggage. However, Colombian police, working with the National Crime Agency (NCA), intercepted the bags at Bogota Airport and replaced the cocaine with wooden blocks before the couple continued their journey.
Upon arrival at Heathrow, Williams and Waldron were arrested and later charged with attempting to import Class A drugs. They pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a Class A drug and were sentenced on Monday.
Darren Barr, NCA Heathrow Operations Manager, stated: 'Organised crime groups need couriers like Waldron and Williams for their business model to function. Their role is crucial in a chain that starts with the cartels that produce drugs in South America and ends with violent street gangs on UK towns and cities.' He added that he hopes the sentences deter others from becoming involved in such enterprises.
