Man swallowed 50 packets of cocaine before flying to Gatwick
Martinus Gunning has been jailed for 32 months
A man who admitted swallowing 50 packets of cocaine to try and smuggle them into the UK through Gatwick Airport has been jailed for 32 months.
Dutchman Martinus Gunning, 42, was investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) after landing on 10 January 2021.
When stopped by Border Force, he initially claimed he was in the UK to visit a girlfriend but shortly after told the truth.
A total of 463g of the class A drug was ultimately recovered. It had an estimated street value of around £37,000.
NCA Branch Commander Mark McCormack said:
“This method of smuggling is dangerous. The rupture of a single one of the 50 pellets in the body could have been fatal.”
“Organised crime groups use individuals like Martinus Gunning to transport drugs across borders for profit, with no thought for the safety of either the smuggler nor users of the drug, who should understand the unpleasant reality of how what they consume can be transported."
“Working with Border Force, we have ensured that these drugs did not reach the UK market. The NCA continues to work with partners to tackle the class A drugs trade, which fuels violence and exploitation in the UK and around the world."