Hampshire trio locked up for importing cocaine from Peru
Three people from Hampshire have been jailed over a year-long drug smuggling conspiracy after a man was caught bringing cocaine into the UK from Peru.
LeeHollisterwassentenced to 11 years in prison after a trial at Croydon Crown Court on Monday after conspiring with GlynnDaviesandSheenaSpedding to bring class A drugs into the country.
The trio, from Lymington, were sentenced to more than 24 years’ imprisonment collectively.
Drug courier Davies, aged 44 from Lymington, was stopped by Border Force officers at Gatwick in July 2018 having arrived on a flight from Lima,Peru.Afterasearchthey recovered two foil-wrapped packages inside his jeans.
Bothcontainedacombined onekiloofhigh-puritycocaine, which would have been worth around £80,000 once cut and sold at street level.
An investigation by the National Crime Agency showed that he worked together with his girlfriend and business partner to sneak drugs into the UK, making multiple trips to South America in 2017 and 2018. NCA investigators found thatDavieshadbeenincontact with his girlfriend Spedding, aged 24 and also from Lymington, throughout the trip.
Phone analysis showed she had organised much of his travelandhotelarrangements, andhehadsentherapictureof the drugs on WhatsApp. NCA branch operations manager Chris Duplock said: ‘Our investigationprovedthatDavies, SpeddingandHollisterworked togethertoimportcocaineinto the UK over a period of a year. They used contacts in South America to source the drugs, which would then be passed on to criminal gangs in the UK for onward distribution.
‘No doubt they stood to make substantial profits. Working with law enforcement partners we are determined to target those involved in this type of criminal activity and stop drug traffickers before their product can reach the streets of the UK.’
NCA officers were also able tofindevidencethattheflights had been paid for by a man Davies referred to as his business partner, Hollister, 35.
Hollister, however, denied being part of the plot, but was found guilty by a jury at CroydonCrownCourtonDecember 2, 2022.
Davies was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison,whileSpeddinggotfour years for her part.