Moment crime gang caught trying to smuggle 139 kilos of cocaine hidden in bananas into UK

Oliver Browning

1 August 2024 at 3:09 am·1-min read

The ringleader of an organised crime group which attempted to smuggle 139 kilos of cocaine into the UK hidden in a consignment of bananas has been convicted.

Sajid Ali, 56, from Birmingham, was arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers at Heathrow airport in January this year, minutes before boarding a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.

His criminal associates had previously been apprehended while unloading a shipping container they believed contained the £11m million worth of drugs at a storage company in Coventry in April 2022.

Footage shared by the NCA shows the moment officers swarmed the gang.

The criminals are now serving a total of 62 years in prison.

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