Man jailed for eight years for trying to smuggle £4m of heroin through Manchester Airport
10 Sep 2013 13:45
Muhammad Shafiq Khan, 44, of Brassary Terrace, Bradford had heroin worth more than £4m hidden in the lining of his suitcases.
Muhammad Shafiq Khan, 44, who was caught at Manchester Airport trying to smuggle heroin with a street value of over £4 million has been sentenced to eight years in prisonMuhammad Shafiq Khan, 44, who was caught at Manchester Airport trying to smuggle heroin with a street value of over £4 million has been sentenced to eight years in prison
Eagle-eyed Border Force staff found heroin worth more than £4m hidden in the lining of a taxi driver's suitcases.
Muhammad Shafiq Khan, 44, of Brassary Terrace, Bradford has been jailed for eight years for trying to smuggle the class A drug into Manchester Airport.
He was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court after pleading guilty to the importation of a Class A drug.
Khan, who is originally from Pakistan, but lives in Bradford, was stopped as he returned from Pakistan on June 30.
He told Border Force staff he had made the trip as his grandmother had recently died.
An initial inspection of one of his smaller cases found drugs hidden in its base.
Border Force officers then emptied his larger suit case and noticed that it weighed far more than expected.
An x-ray then revealed drugs hidden in the lining of the case.
Tests showed that Khan tried to import 15kg of heroin with an estimated street value of £4,080,000.
Sam Bullimore, Assistant Director for Border Force at Manchester Airport , said: “I would like to praise the hard work and vigilance of our officers.
“Technology plays a key part in many of our detections but the skills and expertise of our officers have been the critical factor in recent successes.
“Our efforts mean a substantial quantity of harmful drugs has been kept off the streets.
“We will continue to work hard to keep our borders safe and crack down on drug smuggling.”
Investigations are ongoing in this case and the Home Office is appealing for information.
Man jailed for eight years for trying to smuggle £4m of heroin through Manchester Airport - Manchester Evening News