02/09/2003

Two men carrying 14 kilos of cocaine arrested at Gatwick

Two men were taken into police custody yesterday after Customs officers found approximately 14 kilos of cocaine in luggage.

The drugs were concealed inside two hard-sided suitcases and had an estimated street value of £840,000.

Customs spokesperson Shona Lowe said: "Customs vigilance has prevented this amount of cocaine from reaching its destination. We will continue to work to the Government's aim of reducing the availability of Class A drugs."

The men had arrived in the UK on a flight from St Lucia.

Customs officers are currently questioning the men and investigations are “continuing”.

(SP)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

06 August 2004
Heathrow cocaine smuggling trio jailed
Three men have been jailed for a total of 53 years today following a cocaine seizure at Heathrow airport worth an estimated £750,000.
09 April 2003
Drugs 'mule' sentenced to seven years
A man who was arrested for smuggling cocaine through London's Waterloo Eurostar Terminal has been today jailed for seven years at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court. Iuri Jorge Coelho, a 19-year-old Portuguese national, was stopped by Customs officers at Waterloo International Terminal on February 8, having arrived on a train from Brussels.
15 August 2003
Customs seizes suspected drugs cash
Customs Officers have obtained a court order to confiscate £14,000 in cash – which is believed to be linked to drugs trafficking – following the interception of two men at Waterloo Station. The pair had flown from Gatwick Airport that morning to Schipol Airport, Amsterdam.
28 May 2012
Brit Woman Arrested After Smuggling Cocaine
A British woman has been arrested in Bali for allegedly smuggling cocaine, believed to be worth £1.6m, in her suitcase. Lindsay Sandford faces a maximum death penalty if found guilty. The 55-year-old covered her face as she was brought out to the media at a press conference in Kuta.
13 March 2008
Woman Charged Over 'Kids With Drugs'
A Mexican woman has been charged with drug smuggling after customs officers at Heathrow allegedly found 15 kilos of cocaine strapped to the legs of two children. Elisa Vazquez Sanchez, 40, was arrested following the discovery of the drugs during a search at Terminal 4 at the airport on Tuesday.