Pair accused of transporting illicit drugs in van after £1.6 million bust
Two men accused of taking part in a drugs conspiracy are on trial after police intercepted a van carrying an estimated £1.6 million worth of cocaine.
Joshpal Singh Kothiria, 33, of Bader Road, Perton near Wolverhampton, is accused of an offence of conspiracy to commit crime abroad relating to the export of cannabis. Mohammed Omar Khan, 38, is accused of an offence of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Both are also accused of transferring criminal property relating to cash.
Prosecuting barrister Mr Paul Mitchell told Wolverhampton Crown Court the conspiracy came to light after the European police forces unscrambled hundreds of encrypted messages between Antony Terry, 48, of Wolverhampton, and his contacts on the Encrochat network, that was used by the criminal underworld.
Mr Mitchell said: "We go back to the spring of 2020. We can all remember that time because it was at the heart of the first and most stringent lockdown. Most of life came to a standstill, but the criminal economy continued to flourish with large numbers of drugs continuing to be imported and exported.
"In this country they were distributed and then sold on. This case is about the drugs trade and in that period a man called Anthony Terry was at the heart of it. Together with his right hand man Michael Collis in 2020 he was involved in offering comprehensive services to drug dealers both in the UK and Ireland.
"Acting on their behalf to move substantial sums of cash and huge amounts of cocaine and other drugs from the Netherlands their importation in this country. Once here other customers would further export to Ireland.
"He was also involved in the trading of cannabis. In moving it to Ireland and moving large sums of cash on behalf of others. Both Terry and Collis have both pleaded guilty to their parts. There is therefore no doubt they were operating and continuing business in the way that the Crown says they were.
"The Crown says two men that you are are now trying were also involved."
Mr Mitchell said Khan was trusted to pick up and move money round this country and also deliver consignments of cannabis to Ireland, while Kothiria delivered cocaine
He told the jurors the heart of the case related to whether there was an agreement between the defendants to be involved in picking up, packaging and delivering the items.
"We can conclude that there was an agreement," he added.
Kothiria, of Baber Road, Perton, and Khan, of Chartist Road, Washwood Heath, in Birmingham, both deny the allegations.
Terry, 48, of Crawford Road, Wolverhampton, and Michael Collis, pleaded guilty to conspiracy offences ahead of the start of the trial and will be sentenced at the end of the current proceedings.
The trial continues.
