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17/02/2009
Flight Crew Bailed Following £250k Drug Find
Customs officers have questioned 15 members of a South African Airways flight crew after £250,000 of cocaine was discovered on a plane.
The employees were arrested after UK Border Agency officers found 5kg of the Class A substance when their flight from Johannesburg landed at Heathrow on Monday.
The cocaine was discovered in luggage on the flight. The nine men and six women were interviewed by customs officers at the west London airport and were released on bail until 7 and 8 April.
Bob Grainger, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Heathrow spokesman, said: "Crew members are subject to the same customs checks as any other person entering the UK.
"Those arrested are now being held in custody and will be interviewed by HMRC investigation officers."
The latest arrests comes just weeks after a similar incident when cocaine and cannabis worth £310,000 was found on a flight from the same airline.
50kg of cannabis, with a street value of £150,000, and 4kg of cocaine, worth £160,000 was found in bags when the flight landed at Heathrow on January 21.
The 15-crew members were released on unconditional bail, and was due to report back to HMRC investigators at Heathrow Police Station on March 23.
(JM/BMcC)
The employees were arrested after UK Border Agency officers found 5kg of the Class A substance when their flight from Johannesburg landed at Heathrow on Monday.
The cocaine was discovered in luggage on the flight. The nine men and six women were interviewed by customs officers at the west London airport and were released on bail until 7 and 8 April.
Bob Grainger, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Heathrow spokesman, said: "Crew members are subject to the same customs checks as any other person entering the UK.
"Those arrested are now being held in custody and will be interviewed by HMRC investigation officers."
The latest arrests comes just weeks after a similar incident when cocaine and cannabis worth £310,000 was found on a flight from the same airline.
50kg of cannabis, with a street value of £150,000, and 4kg of cocaine, worth £160,000 was found in bags when the flight landed at Heathrow on January 21.
The 15-crew members were released on unconditional bail, and was due to report back to HMRC investigators at Heathrow Police Station on March 23.
(JM/BMcC)
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