Three individuals have been charged with the importation of cocaine, valued at £10 million, concealed within shipments of bananas originating from the Dominican Republic.
The arrests were made in Acton, West London, following the interception of two banana cargo shipments at Portsmouth International Port on January 20 and 26, where Border Force officers uncovered the illicit narcotics hidden in the linings of fruit boxes.
High-value narcotics concealed within banana shipments
The trio has been identified as 37-year-old Jose Manuel Perez De La Cruz from Beckway, 30-year-old Nathanael Colado-Jiminez from Acton and 34-year-old Ronny Sierra Guerrero of no fixed address. The suspects were brought into custody and subsequently appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on January 31.
The cocaine was strategically concealed within the cardboard packaging of the banana boxes, and authorities believe the narcotics were destined for distribution within the UK.
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HeadlineThree charged after a £10 million cocaine seizure
Short Headline Three charged after a £10 million cocaine seizure
StandfirstBanana boxes concealed high-value narcotics in an international drug bust.
Three individuals have been charged with the importation of cocaine, valued at £10 million, concealed within shipments of bananas originating from the Dominican Republic.
The arrests were made in Acton, West London, following the interception of two banana cargo shipments at Portsmouth International Port on January 20 and 26, where Border Force officers uncovered the illicit narcotics hidden in the linings of fruit boxes.
High-value narcotics concealed within banana shipments
The trio has been identified as 37-year-old Jose Manuel Perez De La Cruz from Beckway, 30-year-old Nathanael Colado-Jiminez from Acton and 34-year-old Ronny Sierra Guerrero of no fixed address. The suspects were brought into custody and subsequently appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on January 31.
The cocaine was strategically concealed within the cardboard packaging of the banana boxes, and authorities believe the narcotics were destined for distribution within the UK.
