Colombian drug trafficker jailed for 24 years

6 Feb 2013 04:30 PM

A fugitive drug trafficker has been jailed for 24 years for his leading role in a conspiracy to supply 299 kilos of high purity cocaine.

Colombian Jose Pineda, aged 45, from London, fled to Spain in April 2009 following an undercover operation in which SOCA officers infiltrated an organised crime group – posing as criminals who could arrange delivery of the cocaine.

After a number of meetings a 'handover' took place near to an industrial estate in Markfield, Leicestershire. A van containing the bales of cocaine was then stopped by armed officers on the southbound carriageway of the M1 motorway.

Pineda’s criminal associates, Colombian national Fernando Hurtado, aged 44, from Surrey, and British national John Albert Esqulant, aged 55, from Essex, were arrested at the time and both received 28 year jail terms for conspiracy to supply cocaine following a trial in February 2010. They later appealed and their sentences were reduced to 23 years.

Officers located Pineda and in March 2012 he was arrested by the Spanish authorities on a European Arrest Warrant. He was extradited to the UK and found guilty after an eight day trial at Leicester Crown Court.

Matt Burton, from SOCA, said: “Pineda thought he was safe living in Spain but he was wrong. Thanks to the determination of our officers and the efforts of our partners we were able to track him down. He’s now in jail where he belongs.”

Another member of the organised crime group, Frank John Stedman, aged 29, from Essex, was arrested in June 2009 as he stepped off a plane at Heathrow Airport. He pleaded guilty to the same offence and was jailed for nine years in February 2010.