Alleged drug smugglers tried to send cocaine in the post

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://tinyurl.com/ypd5lt

ep 19 2007

By Kirsty Rigg


AN INTERNATIONAL drugs gang tried to smuggle more than £600,000 of cocaine through the post, a court has heard.

The gang are alleged to have posted more than 70 "Jiffy" drug bags from Peru to addresses in Crawley, including Maidenbower Dry Cleaners.

An undercover police officer posed as a postman in an investigation and delivered "dummy" parcels to find out who took delivery of them.

Hove Crown Court heard how each envelope allegedly contained a distinctive Peruvian purse, which contained wraps of film. The films were allegedly packed with cocaine, which was 98 per cent pure.

The alleged attempt to traffic the illegal drugs was uncovered by customs in Frankfurt, Germany,in August last year.

Alan Kent, prosecuting, said that German customs destroyed the packages after recording their intended addresses.

Police revealed that 40 of the secret drug bags were intended for addresses in Crawley.

Mr Kent said: "There are eight defendants in the dock. They conspired together to fraudulently evade and control class A drugs.

"Some were involved in financing, packaging and posting the drugs, others were on the receiving end in England."

Mr Kent told the court that some defendants provided their addresses as safe houses for the packages. One defendant was a taxi driver, who claimed to be unaware of the contents of the packages.

Fabio de Palma, 30, of Albany Road, West Green, Crawley, Nathan Salas, 28, of Innes Road, Horsham, Lubhaia Ram, 43, of Smallfield, Surrey, and Oscar Salas,54, of Falmouth, Cornwall, have denied charges of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine.

The same charge has also been denied by Lawrence Russell, 49, of Maidenbower Place, Paul Casella, 44, of Capricorn Close, Bewbush, Richard Casella, 43, of Lampsden Court, Copthorne Common, and Trevor Bowden, 38, of no fixed address.

Giving evidence on Tuesday, a Detective Constable Stapleton said he had posed as a postman to find out who accepted the parcels from Peru. The packages carried false names - Mr Wood and Mr Wall.

The court heard that Paul Casella told DC Stapleton he was Mr Wood when he arrived with a fake parcel.

DC Stapleton then went to the dry cleaners on Maidenbower Square with a fake package for Mr Wall, which was allegedly accepted by Russell Lawrence.

He said: "I said 'Are you Mr Wall' and he said 'Yeah'. I gave him five packages."

Another police officer, a Detective Constable Robinson, then went to the dry cleaners and identified himself before asking Mr Lawrence if he was Mr Wall, to which he said no.

DC Robinson said: "I said 'You've just received a package in the name of Mr Wall'. He said he had only taken it for him."

Mr Lawrence was then arrested and cautioned.

The trial continues.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

An undercover police officer posed as a postman in an investigation and delivered "dummy" parcels to find out who took delivery of them.

A tailors dummy posed as a manager until some slight movement of the arm as it was caught in a breeze gave the game away and the smugglers escaped. "We should have used a real Royal Mail manager" said Detective Inspector Lockheart, "everyone knows they couldn't move if their lives depended on it".

[L Tommo]

Ive got A VISION of a flatfoot dressed in a RM fleece two sizes too small. RM Shorts on too tight and the silly deputy dog fleece hat we were given standing there and his utillity belt with his riot stick.. Cuffs and mace and notepad stuffed inside... Big size 12s Dm's that hurt ya and a 739 card out of his top pocket, giving it, COPPER:"ELO ELO ELO WOTS ALL DIS POWDER COMIN OUT DIS ERE JIFFY BAG MY SON?"
DRUGGIE:"DUNNO POSTIE?"

COPPER:" FECKING SURE SON?"

DRUGGIE: "YEH AND I KNOW YOU AINT A REAL POSTIE AS YOUR TOO FECKING APPY AND THEM c***s BIG AL N LIL ADAM ARE w*****s."

COPPER: "NON OF THAT SONNY I RECON THATS PERUVIAN MARCHIN POWDER... YOUR FECKING KNICKED MY BEAUTY."

DRUGGIE: "NA MATE ITS BULLSHITE"

COPPER: "IM NOT A ROYAL MAIL MANAGER YOU KNOW SONNY, I AINT FECKING STOOPID NOW GET ALONG WIV ME NOW."

DRUGGIE:"I KNEW THERE WAS SUMFINK WRONG ABOUT U??"

COPPER "YEH A SCREW WOULD OF FITTED YOU UP AND PLANTED IT ON YA.. "


DRUGGIE:"BOLLOXS ITS A FAIR COP..."


COPPER.:" THAT WILL TEACH HIM TO THINK IM A THICK SCREW FROM Royal Mail.."[/b]

[Fluke]

Ive got A VISION of a flatfoot dressed in a RM fleece two sizes too small. RM Shorts on too tight and the silly deputy dog fleece hat we were given standing there and his utillity belt with his riot stick.. Cuffs and mace and notepad stuffed inside... Big size 12s Dm's that hurt ya and a 739 card out of his top pocket, giving it, COPPER:"ELO ELO ELO WOTS ALL DIS POWDER COMIN OUT DIS ERE JIFFY BAG MY SON?"
DRUGGIE:"DUNNO POSTIE?"

COPPER:" FECKING SURE SON?"

DRUGGIE: "YEH AND I KNOW YOU AINT A REAL POSTIE AS YOUR TOO FECKING APPY AND THEM c***s BIG AL N LIL ADAM ARE w*****s."

COPPER: "NON OF THAT SONNY I RECON THATS PERUVIAN MARCHIN POWDER... YOUR FECKING KNICKED MY BEAUTY."

DRUGGIE: "NA MATE ITS BULLSHITE"

COPPER: "IM NOT A ROYAL MAIL MANAGER YOU KNOW SONNY, I AINT FECKING STOOPID NOW GET ALONG WIV ME NOW."

DRUGGIE:"I KNEW THERE WAS SUMFINK WRONG ABOUT U??"

COPPER "YEH A SCREW WOULD OF FITTED YOU UP AND PLANTED IT ON YA.. "


DRUGGIE:"BOLLOXS ITS A FAIR COP..."


COPPER.:" THAT WILL TEACH HIM TO THINK IM A THICK SCREW FROM Royal Mail.."[/b]

[DGP1]

New RM uniforms???

[IWW Fellow Worker]

New RM uniforms???

Our DUM wears that stuff when he's off duty.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

New RM uniforms???

The skirt would be a bit tight on my thighs but hey I'm for anything.

[dvbuk55]

New RM uniforms???

Oh Yes! Yes! Yes! Tell them I'll be flexible and work til I'm 90 for a pittance and do everybody else duty and don't bother paying me a pension - just when can I have the new uniform - don't need firearms training - it's like riding a bike!

[MP71]

Not keen on the uniform but the shooter would come in handy on my walk

[Carla]

New RM uniforms???

Sure you don't want me to model them new uniform :)

[jafferpants]

I can only assume al&ac have been snorting it. How else do you account for the propposals the've put forward. If not they should be put in a home for the terminaly stupid.