24/10/2007 00:00:00
UK: Pair jailed for importing drugs from South Africa
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Two men have been jailed for importing £50,000 worth of cannabis into Kent.
Richard Lovett, of Granville Road in Gillingham, denied importing the
drug but was found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday.
The unemployed 29-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison.
Vernatius Michael, of Compass Court in Gravesend, pleaded guilty to
importing the 42 kilos of herbal cannabis and admitted possession with
intent to supply.
The judge sentenced the unemployed 21-year-old to four years and two
years in prison to run concurrently.
Customs officers at Heathrow found the class C drug hidden in tea bags
that had been air freighted from South Africa.
The 88 blocks of cannabis were replaced with bags of table salt and the
package continued its journey to an address belonging to Lovett’s mother.
After the package arrived detectives got a search warrant and arrested
Lovett who was then charged with importing the drug. Further inquiries
led police to arrest Michael.
Detective Inspector Tom Richards, said: “The Kent Police Serious and
Organised Crime Unit are very satisfied with the result of this
investigation.
“The importation and distribution of controlled drugs have a significant
and negative impact upon the people of Kent.
“Organisers of this type of activity make significant financial profits
from these enterprises. It is our policy to take dangerous drugs off
the streets of Kent and deny organisers the financial proceeds of their
crime.”
http://www.kentnews.co.uk/
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=12934
Author:
Kent News via UKCIA
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