Drug smuggler gives girlfriend 2kg of cocaine worth £240,000 to bring in to UK in a suitcase
A drug smuggler's girlfriend has been jailed for more than four years after he gave her a suitcase with cocaine worth more than £240,000 to bring in to the UK by ferry.
Kimberley Brown, 27, was arrested at Dover after journeying from Calais with the false-bottomed case in tow.
Once cut and sold, the 2kg of cocaine would have had a potential street value of up to £240,000.
The National Crime Agency revealed how Brown, of Walters Row, Dudley, had travelled to France on November 17, 2015, via a Eurolines coach from London Victoria.
Boyfriend Garvey Barnes, 36, a convicted armed robber, had travelled to France by car and the stayed overnight at a hotel in Calais.
He drove back to the UK the following day, while Brown got on the ferry as a foot passenger.
As she got off, she was intercepted by the Border Force.
A National Crime Agency investigation uncovered phone evidence revealing the pair had met in Dudley the day before the drugs run and had sent messages arranging to meet in Calais.
On Wednesday, Barnes and Brown were found guilty of being concerned in the importation of Class A drugs by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court.
Barnes, of Nottingham, was jailed for 10.5 years and Brown for 4.5 years.
Richard Bowen, from the NCA’s Dover border investigations team, said: “No doubt Garvey Barnes stood to make significant financial gain from this drugs run, but it seems he was happy to let his partner take all the risks.
“Despite this we were able to put evidence before a jury proving he had a leading role in the importation of this cocaine, and this is reflected in his lengthy jail term.”
Paul Morgan, Director of Border Force South East and Europe, said: “By preventing this smuggling attempt, Border Force has stopped a vast quantity of illegal drugs from reaching the UK’s streets and prevented criminals from lining their pockets with a substantial profit.
“Border Force officers are at the forefront of the fight to keep illegal drugs out of the country and we continue to work with law enforcement partners to tackle these crimes.”
