Six Jailed For Smuggling Cocaine On Cruise Ship

Six Bulgarian and Lithuanian nationals have been jailed for a total of 87 years for attempting to smuggle approximately 35 kilos of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £1.4 million, into the UK aboard a cruise ship when it arrived in Dover.

A further two smugglers are due to be sentenced at the same court this week. Canterbury Crown Court heard that UK Border Agency officers searched the cruise liner MSC Orchestra on 6 May 2010 when it arrived in Dover en route to Amsterdam from Brazil.

Whilst searching the ship, they found in four of the cabins a "bodysuit" which was designed to be worn under outer clothing and comprised of a trouser half and an upper body half. Individual packets of drugs had been stitched into the suits.

Officers also found in one of the cabins a fifth "spare" part body suit that contained no drugs. Two Bulgarian men, two Bulgarian women, three Lithuanian men and one Lithuanian woman were arrested and later charged with being knowingly concerned in the evasion of the prohibition on importation of cocaine under Sec. 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The four Bulgarians admitted knowing each other, as did the four Lithuanians, but each group denied knowing the other. Seven had pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle the cocaine and the eighth Kostadin Malev was found guilty after trial at Canterbury Crown court on 3 November 2010.

Malcolm Bragg, Criminal and Financial Assistant Director for the UK Border Agency, said: "These drug smugglers thought they would go unnoticed by posing as cruise ship passengers. They were wrong. We've got our eye on every possible smuggling route into the UK.

"We know the lengths that organised criminals will go to and will stop at nothing to bring them to justice.

"The sentences handed down today send a clear message to people considering smuggling drugs that you will have your freedom taken away from you for several years.

"Drugs like cocaine devastate lives and communities. Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to drug smuggling should call our hotline on 0800 59 5000."

The UK Border Agency will take action to deport the smugglers at the end of their jail terms.