HEATHROW DRUGS SWALLOWERS - 22 CHARGED AND IN CUSTOMS CUSTODY
5 Dec 2001 05:15 PM
Twenty-two people, all Jamaicans, have been charged by Customs after
they swallowed drugs in an attempt to smuggle them into Britain
through Heathrow Airport.
The charges are the result of a Customs-lead operation run with
police officers from Operation Trident, the passengers were
intercepted off an Air Jamaica flight that landed at Heathrow at 1120
on Monday morning.
Customs is tackling the problem of swallowers head-on with special
operations such as this to run over Christmas and through to the new
year.
All 22 charged, of which seven are women, are in Customs custody at
Heathrow, where Customs has special facilities to deal with the
swallowers and where they will be kept under close surveillance until
all the drugs have been passed. The passengers were detected through
a combination of urine tests, X-Rays and admissions whilst being
searched by Customs Officers.
Customs officers suspect the drug swallowed is cocaine, a Class A
drug. All have been charged with smuggling an unknown quantity of
drugs into the country.
The 22 charged are:
Horace Lloyd McDonald
Trewlany,
Friendship District
Jamaica
47 yrs
Conrad Hamilton Whilby
Royal Ave,
Linstead
St Catherine,
Jamaica
38 yrs
Dion Ricardo Smith
Welton Park RD
Kingston 10
Jamaica
21 yrs
Everton Anthony Hunter
Portabello
Montego Bay
Jamaica
36yrs
Eva Thompson
Mona Common
Kingston 6
47 yrs
Rushed to Hospital with pains
now recovering.
Jacqueline Marie Blake
Love Lane
Gordon Pen
Spanish town
St Catherine
Jamaica
31 yrs
Ingrid Marilyn Hall
Kidd Lane
Jamaica 13
Jamaica
31 yrs
Patrick Anthony Malcolm
Bethel Town
Montego Bay
Jamaica
43 yrs
Valentine Omar McKay
Holborn Ave
Kingston 12
39 yrs
Derrick Anthony Robinson
Jamaica
43 yrs
Andrea Marie Downes
Rose Mount,
Montego Bay
Jamaica
27 yrs
Robert George Hinds
Tango River Point P.O.
St James
Jamaica
29 yrs
Mark Anthony Griffiths
King St
Spanish town
Jamaica
19yrs
Gladstone Washington Barrett
Lambs River
Westmoreland
Jamaica
29 yrs
Curtis Fitzgerald Grant
Western park
Maypen
Clarendon
Jamaica 31yrs
Raymond Alexander Wackett
Pier Lane Kingston11
Jamaica
39 yrs
Horoldo Anthony Wong
Manatee Drive
Greater Portmore
Jamaica
27 Yrs
Devon Spence
Lluidas District,
St Catherines,
Jamaica
40 yrs.
Michael Anthony Shepperd
Portmore Road,
St Catherine,
Jamaica
42 yrs
Lowana Elaine Jackson
Cambridge PO
Montego Bay
Jamaica
32 yrs
Rohan Williams
Birdsucker Lane
Kingston 8
Jamaica
32 yrs.
Judith Angela Morris
Rose Close
Old Harbour Villa
St Catherine
Jamaica
34 yrs.
Notes for editors
1. Further information about HM Customs & Excise can be found at
their website www.hmce.gov.uk
2. HM Customs is responsible for preventing and detecting the
illegal import and export of controlled drugs, and the investigation
and prosecution of organisations and individuals engaged in drug
smuggling.
3. Cocaine is a Class A drug
4. The penalty for the importation of a class A drug is a penalty
of any amount or up to life imprisonment or both
5. HM Customs & Excise leads the Government''s strategy on reducing
availability of drugs in the UK. It does this in co-operation with
law enforcement agencies at home and overseas tackling the main
routes of supply. Body stuffing and swallowing are ways in which
individual consignments of drugs are routed to the UK.
Issued by Customs and Excise, London.
Anyone with information about illegally imported drugs, tobacco or
alcohol or about VAT fraud can speak to a Customs officer in complete
confidence. Call Customs Confidential 24 hours a day on 0800 59 5000