Woolwich woman jailed in £1.5 million cocaine smuggling plot (From News Shopper)

Woolwich woman jailed in £1.5 million cocaine smuggling plot

3:54pm Friday 1st February 2013 in Greenwich news By Sarah Trotter

A WOOLWICH woman who tried to smuggle £1.5 million of cocaine into the UK in food packets and bottles has been locked up.

The drugs were mixed up in foods from Ecuador in a “very sophisticated concealment” that was uncovered by Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport in June last year.

Columbian national Martha Santiago, aged 36, of Tellson Avenue, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday to five years in prison.

Paula Sanchez, aged 32, of Coppetts Road, Muswell Hill, was jailed for 10 years. Both admitted conspiracy to import class A drugs at earlier hearings.

The disguised haul – totalling around eight kilos of pure cocaine - was found after officers carried out forensic checks on freight at the airport on June 27.

Assistant director of Border Force Peter Avery said: “This was a significant quantity of drugs and a very sophisticated concealment, but once again our Border Force officers were one step ahead.

“Border Force officers are on constant alert to prevent dangerous drugs like cocaine making it into the UK, and through close working with our law enforcement partners like the MPS (Met Police) and SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency) we are determined to bring to justice those who would attempt to smuggle it.”

Anyone with information about suspected activity linked to drug smuggling should call 0800 59 5000.