Heroin gang jailed for 39 years

Drugs courier John Owen, aged 39, of Great Arthur Street, Smethwick, was one of three men jailed for a total of 39 years for their part in bringing nearly 10 kilos of heroin into the country on December 24, 2007. Mohammed Malik, aged 51, of Coventry, was believed to be the mastermind and Owen's minder was Jatinder Singh Shoker, 31, of Regent Street, Smethwick.

Canterbury Crown Court was told that the smuggling operation was uncovered when Owen was intercepted by customs officers at Dover.

He drove off at speed when officers asked him to take his hire van into an examination bay.

Owen was later seen dumping four packages at a house in Dover and returned later wearing a Santa hat.

He left, but did not take the packages with him. They were then seized and found to contain heroin.

Shoker had arrived separately on the same ferry and was responsible for ensuring the drugs arrived safely before their distribution on to UK streets.

Both their vehicles were hired from Malik's Birmingham company, Venus Motors, and were loaded with alcohol in a bid to give the impression they were buying duty-free for Christmas.

A search of Malik's business in Birmingham and his home in Binley Avenue, Coventry, revealed a fuel tank adapted to include a concealed compartment.

Malik is believed to have bankrolled the drug smuggling and was found to have made 12 foreign currency exchanges from sterling to euros between October and December 2007, totalling £110,000.

Malik was sentenced to 15 years for the importation of Class A drugs, money laundering, possessing forged bank notes and a false driving licence.

Shoker was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Owen, who pleaded guilty to obstruction of a customs officer, was also sentenced to 12 years.