27 Years For Cocaine Smugglers

Two women have today been jailed for a total of 27 years at Canterbury Crown Court for smuggling 16 kilos of cocaine into the UK. They were caught by Customs Officers after arriving at the Port of Dover in March this year. The Class A drugs had an estimated street value of £800,000.

Ambrozine Heron, 77, and Paulette Chambers, 49, both from Smethwick, Birmingham, were jailed for 13 and 14 years respectively.

Malcolm Bragg, Assistant Investigation Director for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said: "This detection of a class A drug, and subsequent conviction of the couriers, is the latest in a series of successes by HMRC who continue to play a key role in protecting our communities, and highlights our proactive role in reducing drugs being brought into the UK. We would encourage anyone with information relating to smuggled goods to contact the customs hotline number on 0800 59 5000 or email customs.hotline@hmrc.gov.uk."

He added: "This case was successfully prosecuted by the Revenue & Customs Prosecutions Office which shows that together we will pursue and bring to justice those breaking the law to protect all our communities from the effects of criminal activity."

The court heard that on Friday the 21st March 2008, HMRC officers stopped a Nissan Pathfinder car, registered to Heron, at Dover's Eastern Docks. Officers searched the car and found two large shopping bags in between the second and third row of seats. Each bag contained approximately twenty tins of fruit concealing cocaine.

Heron and Chambers were jointly arrested and formally charged with attempting to import a controlled drug.

On sentencing Her Honour Judge Adele Williams said: "Cocaine is a dangerous drug capable of causing havoc in people's lives. The vehicle in which you were travelling was a mobility scheme vehicle which Ambrozine Heron was entitled to because of her disability. In all the evidence before me, you, Chambers were a prime mover in the importation and you Heron were a willing participant in the importation. I have no doubt your role in the car was to show respectability in respect of your age and health problems."