A drug smuggler who tried to sneak in over £500,000 of heroin into the UK hidden inside sweet tins has been jailed.
Mohammed Perwez, 59, of Pendle Street, Accrington, was stopped by Border Force officers at Manchester airport after he stepped off a flight from Dubai on May 9 last year.
He was allowed to proceed through customs after the three checked-in bags they were carrying were not found to contain prohibited goods.
Three hours later, Border Force officers identified an ‘unclaimed suitcase’ on a carousel which was later confirmed to belong to Perwez.
They found two large red tins labelled ‘Jamil sweets’ from the suitcase, which contained 5.4kg of heroin in paste form hidden under a layer of ghee sweets.
If cut and sold in the UK, it would have a potential street value of £550,000.
Perwez was arrested by National Crime Agency officers, assisted by Lancashire Police, at his home on May 12, 2015.
He pleaded guilty to the importation of class A drugs and was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week to five years and four months.
