Ghanaian, others jailed 139 years for cocaine smuggling

A Ghanaian living in the UK has been jailed 20 years for the prominent role he played in a cocaine smuggling deal at the Heathrow Airport in the UK.

Wilfred Owusu, 30, was part of a 13-member drug smuggling syndicate busted in December 2016 at the busy airport and were jailed for a total of 139 years on Tuesday, April 17, 2018.

The gang was dealing in over 100 kilograms of cocaine, which had an average of 78.5% purity, which was seized during the 15-month scam by Border Force officers.

The drug smugglers led by two corrupt BA baggage handlers imported £32 million of cocaine through Heathrow before being busted by border police.

The syndicate, the court heard, stuff suitcases with the restricted and prohibited items from Brazil from the international arrivals carousel at Heathrow Airport to the domestic arrivals hall to avoid security checks and were being aided by baggage handlers to sneak the cases out of the airport.

Security agents used CCTV footage at the airport to close down on them.

Owusu and others were identified as wholesalers with international contacts who were able to rake cash in for the gang.

Another Ghanaian, Felicia Kufour, who served as a pick-up agent to the gang at the airport, will be sentenced on June 1 due to ill-health.