Pair jailed for bid to smuggle £5.2m drugs hidden in jam

Marcel Rietman and Mathieu Poulissen tried to smuggle almost 80 kilos of the drug through Killingholme docks, near Immingham, Humberside, in a lorry load of jam.

Rietman was jailed for 18 years and Poulissen for 20 years.

The men were stopped on September 16 last year after their vehicle passed through a UK Border Agency scanner at the docks.

Officers noticed an anomaly in a fridge unit and on closer inspection discovered 20 packages of heroin.

As well as finding drugs hidden in the load, there were also packages in the cab and searches revealed 11 packages of heroin taped to Poulissen's body, a jury at Grimsby Crown Court heard.

The men, who denied the offence, live in Venlo, Holland, and had travelled on the ferry from the Hook of Holland when their illegal cargo was discovered.

Assistant Director for the UK Border Agency in Yorkshire and the Humber Andy Lumb welcomed the convictions.

He said: "This was a significant seizure that reflects the robust controls we have in place at the UK border backed by dedicated criminal investigation teams who are vital in bringing these criminals to justice.

"Heroin is a dangerous Class A drug that wrecks the lives not only of individual users but also their families and the wider community as a whole. This sentence reflects the severity of the offence of trying to smuggle illegal drugs into the UK and we will continue to do everything within our power to prevent Class A drugs entering the country."

"Let the convictions today be a warning to those who would try and smuggle illegal drugs, the UK Border Agency has the capability to detect you and bring you to justice."

The UK Border Agency said it would be taking steps to deport both men on completion of their sentences.