SOCA turns up the heat on drug traffickers

5th August 2011

Drugs smugglers who attempted to import almost 80kg of heroin into the UK disguised as chilli powder have been told they will face a total of 40 years in prison.

The heroin had been shipped in a single container to the UK from Asia in November 2010. At Birmingham Crown Court, Gulab Mohammed, 51, from Hugh Road, Birmingham was found guilty of importation of a Class A drug. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison. His son Khalid Mohammed, 29, also from Birmingham pleaded guilty to importation of a Class A drug in April. He was sentenced to 19 years.

The SOCA investigation showed that the Mohammeds had used a shipping agency to transport the heroin from Pakistan to the UK. On its arrival at Felixtowe on 3 November 2010, the container was scanned by UK Border Agency officers and found to contain 600 20kg sacks of red chilli powder. Twelve beige coloured packages were found in one of the sacks near the rear of the container, and when tested, the contents were found to be heroin. Six further sacks in the final row of the container also contained quantities of the drug.

SOCA officers substituted the heroin with a safe substance and then sent the consignment, driven by an undercover SOCA officer, to the delivery address, Sewon Enterprise UK Ltd, Bristol Road South in Birmingham. On his arrival he was met by the Mohammeds who asked him to take the container on to an industrial unit in Whitchurch, Shropshire. After arriving at the unit, the container was subsequently unloaded and the father and son arrested by SOCA officers.

The Judge granted Travel Restriction Orders against both men which will come into effect on their release from prison. A financial investigation is currently underway.