Dudley drug smugglers jailed after trying to sneak 22kg of cocaine through Heathrow airport into UK

Two cocaine smugglers have been jailed after a failed attempt to sneak £1.75 million worth of the Class A drug into the UK.

The pair, from Dudley in the West Midlands, admitted to importing drugs in court on Monday (10 October) and have been sentenced to six years and eight months each.

Michael Williams, 37, and Jessica Waldron, 36, concealed 22kg blocks of cocaine in their check-in baggage and flew as passengers from Bogota airport in Colombia into the UK.

Williams and Waldron did not realise that Colombian police, who were working with the National Crime Agency (NCA), had already carried out searches of their bags in Bogota and had replaced the blocks of cocaine for blocks of wood.

The drugs had been concealed in their checked-in baggage and were switched at Bogoto airport by police.

The pair were arrested at Heathrow airport and charged with attempting to import Class A drugs in December 2019.

NCA Heathrow Operations Manager Darren Barr said: "Organised crime groups need couriers like Waldron and Williams for their business model to function.

"Their role is crucial in a chain that starts with the cartels that produce drugs in South America and ends with violent street gangs on UK towns and cities.

"I hope the sentences handed out to today make those who would consider getting involved in such an enterprise to think again.

"It simply isn’t worth it."