Britain jails 2 Indian-origin men for smuggling drugs hidden in farm products

Following a London trial where it was determined that the two men of Indian descent were guilty of smuggling drugs concealed among farm food from South America and Africa, they were sentenced to a combined 34 years in prison in Britain.

In addition, Anand Tripathi, 61, and Varun Bhardwaj, 39, were found guilty of avoiding the import duty that was due on cigarettes that were concealed amongst cookies from Chennai, Bombay Mix snacks from Mumbai, and coconut fibre from Sri Lanka that was used to make doormats.

The two used their freight company as a front to clear shipping containers containing drugs and cigarettes and reroute them to a warehouse under their control, according to the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Groups involved in organised crime then offloaded these illegal shipments.

“These two men played vital roles in trying to flood UK streets with huge quantities of illegal drugs,” said Richard Partridge from the CPS, following the sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court in west London last week.

“This conspiracy was only made possible by Anand Tripathi’s experience in importation and customs clearance, and Varun Bhardwaj’s willingness to assume day to day management of their operation. There were clearly others involved in the scheme who haven’t yet been identified but this successful operation and their substantial sentences serves as a warning that authorities in the UK work together to disrupt and prosecute smugglers,” he added.

Following a 71-day trial, the jury found the two men guilty in November after learning that between September 2021 and November 2022, they had imported 2,503.36 kilogrammes of cannabis and 272.86 kilogrammes of cocaine in four separate shipments.

A shipment from Ghana had little more than two tonnes of cannabis concealed amid yams. Another, covered in South African oranges, held 49 kilogrammes of cocaine. The drugs were all confiscated before they could be sold and later destroyed by authorities, despite having an estimated street value of GBP 28.9 million.

“The amount seized over a 13-month period goes to show the significant involvement these individuals had in bringing commercial amounts of drugs into the UK,” said Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Paul Fisher of the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, behind the investigation.

“By working closely and collaboratively with our partner agencies this organised crime network has been dismantled and vast quantities of drugs destined for our streets have been eradicated. These are two very serious criminals who I’m glad to see have been given substantial sentences to reflect the magnitude of their offending,” he added.

During a search of Bhardwaj’s house in Hounslow, west London, police discovered a one-kilogram bag of cannabis valued at GBP 10,000 in a cupboard beneath the stairs. He declared that he was “keeping it as evidence” after it had fallen out of a shipment during the unloading process.

He was given a 19-year prison sentence on Friday for importing cocaine and cannabis, avoiding paying cigarette duty, possessing cannabis, and neglecting to provide a mobile phone’s PIN. Tripathi, his accomplice, received a 15-year term for comparable offences.

In addition to the drug imports, both received sentences for smuggling 18.6 million cigarettes without paying the GBP 9,774,220 in import fees and VAT. At various English ports, including Portsmouth, Felixstowe, and London Gateway, the drugs and cigarettes were found.

Previous shipments that had been confiscated by the UK Border Force during routine dockside container searches were discovered during the police investigation. According to evidence presented in court, Tripathi and Bhardwaj attempted to elude law enforcement by establishing shell firms. This was done in an effort to stay under the radar until a botched delivery to Somerset, in southwest England.

The two failed to redirect one cargo in April 2022, and it ended up at a Somerset farm. The farmer discovered chunks of cocaine concealed in Colombian livestock feed that were coated in plastic and had a street worth of GBP 15 million. He said police he had seen “similar packages on films and tv programmes which were drugs” even though he had no idea what the objects were.

(With agency inputs)