Individuals sentenced for £200 million cocaine smuggling operation involving banana shipment

A group of individuals has received prison sentences for their attempt to import approximately £200 million worth of cocaine concealed within a banana shipment originating from Colombia. This particular consignment, considered to be among the largest drug confiscations ever recorded in the United Kingdom, was intercepted at Portsmouth Port during February 2021. Covert law enforcement personnel, acting as lorry drivers, transported decoy crates to a warehouse situated in north London. Petko Zhutev, Ghergii Diko, and Bruno Kuci admitted guilt to charges of smuggling, whereas Erik Muci and Olsi Ebeja were convicted for their participation subsequent to a trial held at the Old Bailey. Agro Food Ltd, a company that had engaged in fresh produce trade for five years, was responsible for importing the bananas. The company’s ownership transferred in December 2020, at which point Zhutev was appointed as its director. According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Bulgarian national had traveled to the UK with the intention of acquiring a legitimate business to serve as a front for drug smuggling activities. Police reported that he took delivery of the consignment at the company’s Edmonton warehouse, unaware that the cocaine had been extracted and substituted with bananas and surveillance equipment. Upon a raid of the premises by armed police, it was discovered that the decoy crates had been moved to one side and several boxes had been opened. Additionally, law enforcement officers located a loaded black Turkish Ozkursan revolver within the warehouse. Zhutev, Diko, and Kuci faced arrest and were subsequently indicted on charges of importing Class A drugs, alongside possessing a firearm and ammunition with the intent to endanger life. While Diko and Kuci entered guilty pleas to these charges, Zhutev was acquitted of the firearm and ammunition offenses following a trial conducted in 2023. A jury was unable to reach a verdict regarding the drug importation charges, leading to a retrial that occurred this summer. Kuci, identified as a “trusted member of the operation,” received a 21-year prison sentence, and Diko, who had relocated to the UK from Albania and was employed as a mechanic, was sentenced to 18 years. Zhutev altered his plea to guilty in September and has since been handed a 27-year prison sentence. Muci, whom the NCA characterized as one of the primary organizers of the scheme, was convicted of smuggling and sentenced to 26 years in jail. He was also given an additional consecutive sentence of seven years for the supply of Class A drugs. Ebeja, identified by the NCA as the designated lookout and driver, was found guilty of smuggling Class A drugs during the same trial; however, the jury did not reach a verdict on the charge of supplying them. He received a 17-year prison sentence. During the earlier sentencing proceedings, Judge Rebecca Trowler KC stated that the importation was “plainly the work of an organised crime group with international elements.” The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced its intention to initiate proceedings aimed at recovering funds generated from these criminal activities. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.