DNA evidence from towel jails drug smuggler

3 Jun 2015 01:30 PM

A London drug smuggler has been jailed after DNA evidence linked him to a mystery package of cocaine seized from a passenger coach at Dover six years earlier.

Eljesa Munishi (52) of Camden, was stopped in Coquelles, France in December 2013, driving a Nissan Almera through UK border controls. Border Force officers searched the vehicle and found 6.74 kg of cannabis concealed in a fabricated space between the windscreen and chassis of the car as well as 5,300 Euros found on his person.

Investigators from the National Crime Agency’s Border Policing Command questioned Munishi and had fingerprints and DNA samples taken.

Once analysed through the national DNA database a match was found linking him to an unattributed 4.5 kilos of cocaine found in a passenger coach on it’s way from Amsterdam to London in February 2008.

The coach was intercepted at Dover Docks with officers finding a Hugo Boss bag hidden under a mattress in the drivers’ sleeping compartment. Amongst towels and a plastic bag, four packages of cocaine were found within three socks, with an approximate street value of £300,000 at the time.

Initial investigations could not link the cocaine to any passengers on the coach and  the bag and its contents were sent for forensic analysis. A DNA sample was found from saliva on one of the towels and a fingerprint was found on a plastic carrier bag.

Once the DNA match was returned, Munishi was subsequently arrested for the importation of cocaine.

Munishi appeared at Canterbury Crown Court last week and was found guilty of the importation of cocaine and on the importation of cannabis.  He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and the 5,300 Euro’s were forfeited.

The National Crime Agency’s Head of Border Investigations, Robert Jones said:

“The meticulous work of our officers and the sophisticated techniques we employ daily have resulted in a repeat drug smuggler being brought to justice for his earlier crimes.

"We were able to evidence that Munishi was responsible for cocaine importation six years ago and the more recent cannabis one."