Two Jailed For Heroin Smuggling

Two men have been sentenced to a total of 22 years in prison after being found guilty of smuggling nearly two kilos of heroin into the UK through Dover.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that on 19 January 2009 HM Revenue & Customs officers at Dover's Eastern Docks stopped a black Ford Focus being driven by Imran Khan.

When questioned Khan said he had been on a day trip to France, officers then searched the vehicle and discovered two packages hidden under the carpet lining the boot.

The packages contained 1.98 kilos of heroin with an estimated street value of £89,000.

The case was passed to UK Border Agency investigators who found forensic evidence linking Gareth Harries to the attempted importation and he was arrested on 5 August 2009.

Both men were found guilty by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court on 7 June and were sentenced there the following day.

Malcolm Bragg, the UK Border Agency's Criminal and Financial Assistant Director said: "UK Border Agency officers work tirelessly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to detect and prevent drugs from being smuggled into the UK. We are determined to prevent this terrible trade which can have such a destructive impact on the lives of so many.

"I hope the sentences handed out here show that we, and our law enforcement colleagues, are serious about tackling the criminals responsible for bringing illegal drugs into Britain."