A woman has been sentenced to two years in prison after trying to smuggle drugs through Gatwick Airport by concealing them inside her body.
Tadia Clement, 23, was stopped by Border Force officers at Gatwick on September 5 after she arrived on a flight from St Lucia.
A spokesman for Border Force said officers recovered 291g of cocaine from Clement, which had been concealed internally – forensic tests indicate the drugs had a street value of £52,000.
Clement was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on October 30 after pleading guilty to the importation of a class A drug.
Following the arrest by Border Force, the investigation and prosecution were carried out by the National Crime Agency’s Border Policing Command.
Carole Upshall, Border Force regional director, said: “This was an excellent seizure and I would like to pay tribute to the Border Force officers who play a crucial role in protecting the UK from illegal drugs every day.
“We work closely with law enforcement colleagues, including the NCA, to prevent drug trafficking and do all we can to put those responsible behind bars.”
Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call our hotline on 0800 59 5000.