By Telegraph Reporters
Copyright yahoo
A drug-smuggling gang was caught after postmen foiled a plot to bring cannabis into the UK disguised as candles.
The “industrial scale” operation was led by Abubakr Khawar, 28, from Cardiff, who was jailed for eight years at the city’s crown court on Wednesday.
More than 80 people across the country were involved in plans to receive parcels containing 327kg of cannabis, with a street value of £3.2 million.
A police investigation was launched after postal workers raised the alarm over a spate of packages labelled as Yankee Candles.
They realised something was wrong because the parcels weighed a lot less than the popular candles.
When they were checked, vacuum-packed cannabis was found hidden inside. Some were also disguised as clothing and toys to avoid detection.
The court heard Khawar received instructions from a man known as Adam Z in the US who sent the drugs from seven US states including California, New Jersey, Colorado and Ohio.
It made the gang a profit between £3,000 and £10,000 per day.
In total, 11 people, aged between 24 and 44, were sentenced for conspiracy to supply and import class B drugs.
Khawar’s second-in-command, Mohammed Nural Hussain, 29, also from Cardiff, received a six-year jail term.
Judge Eugene Egan said: “It is too simplistic to say ‘all I did was receive a small amount of cannabis through the post.’
“This was a well-run, well-organised and extremely profitable business.”
The court heard 8kg of drugs with a street value of £164,000 was intercepted before it could be delivered to Soloman Bertram, 36, from Cardiff, who was jailed for 22 months.
He was recruited by his girlfriend and fellow gang member Sophie Jones who also persuaded her brother Keiran Jones, 29, to get involved.
About £277,000 of cannabis destined for his address in the Welsh capital was stopped by detectives. Sophie Jones, 32, is due to be sentenced next month.
Sean Montgomery – described as a trusted member of the gang – was sent to a Royal Mail sorting office in Barry to track down 10 missing parcels, representing a loss of £60,000.
The court heard Khawar and his US supplier Adam Z were becoming increasingly irritated by the number of disappearing packages.
They had in fact been intercepted by the police and Border Force officers.
After the hearing, prosecutor Jenny Hopkins said: “This group was highly organised and criminally sophisticated.
“They were arranging and managing transatlantic deliveries to about 80 properties in the UK and then used an extensive distribution network to move the drugs on.
“They tried to evade responsibility for their criminality by making regular changes to the distribution patterns, but they were still caught.”
