Austrian Man Caught Smuggling £238,000 Worth of Heroin Through Dover
A 27-year-old Austrian, Aleksandar Kuzmanovic, has been locked up after trying to sneak nearly five kilos of heroin into the UK. The haul is valued at a staggering £238,000 on the streets.
Border Force Snags Major Drug Haul at Dover
Kuzmanovic was caught at Dover Eastern Docks as a passenger in a lorry arriving from Belgium. During a routine search, Border Force officers discovered a bag stuffed with cling film packages. Testing revealed the packages contained heroin with a purity between 38% and 53%.
His wallet was found inside the bag, and Kuzmanovic admitted on the spot the drugs were his. He claimed he thought he was carrying cannabis and was transporting them to pay off debts.
Quick Guilty Plea and Prison Sentence
Kuzmanovic pleaded guilty on 28 September to attempting to import a Class A drug. Today, Canterbury Crown Court sentenced him to five years behind bars.
Officials Praise Border Force and NCA Teamwork
“This was a crude attempt to bring heroin into the UK with Kuzmanovic making very minimal attempts to hide his drug smuggling,” said Mark Howes, NCA branch commander.
“Heroin ends up in the hands of county lines gangs, bringing violence and exploitation to the streets. We will continue to work closely with Border Force to disrupt the supply of heroin at our borders.”
Dave Smith, Regional Director for Border Force South East & Europe, added:
“This sentencing is the result of hard work by Border Force and the National Crime Agency to keep illegal drugs out of the UK. Stopping drug smuggling is key to the Government’s 10-year drug strategy to cut crime and save lives.”
“Officers involved can take pride in intercepting this dangerous drug before it reached our communities.”
