Gang Jailed for Using Vintage Cadillac in £1.92 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation

A gang used a vintage 1953 Cadillac to smuggle £1.92 million in cocaine into the UK from Peru. Seven men were sentenced to nearly 100 years in prison for their involvement in the conspiracy. The drugs were concealed within the vehicle, leading to multiple arrests and significant seizures of cash and cocaine as law enforcement dismantled the operation.

A 1953 Cadillac sedan was utilized to import £1.92 million worth of cocaine from Peru into the United Kingdom. Seven individuals received prison sentences totaling nearly 100 years for their involvement in dismantling the vintage vehicle within a workshop located in south Essex, where they concealed approximately 64 kilograms of the Class A drug.

The Cadillac, which departed from Peru, reached the UK on January 25 last year, unbeknownst to authorities that it was not merely a collector’s item. The vehicle, having traveled over 6,000 miles, was packed with cocaine, valued at £1.92 million in wholesale terms. Authorities apprehended several suspects when they intercepted a grey Mercedes on the M1 in Bedfordshire in February 2024.

Arrested were Paulino Soares, 33, Juan Valle Tellez, 32, and Raul Ruiz Jurado, 29, with Soares being the driver previously known to law enforcement for prior cocaine-related offenses. A search revealed multiple blocks of compressed cocaine, with an estimated wholesale value of £549,000 and a street value of £1.48 million. Various other illicit items were recovered from the vehicle.

Further investigations led to the indictment of Naheem Rafiq, 37, and Mohammed Ilyas, 29, both from Bradford, along with Omer Cohen, 46, and Shimon Shriki, 57, both from London. These individuals utilized the Cadillac to facilitate drug transactions while their accomplices in South America identified clients within the UK market.

In early February, Rafiq and Ilyas purchased kilos of cocaine from the vehicle, while Jurado and Tellez coordinated the deliveries. During searches in April 2024, authorities seized more than 680 grams of cocaine, along with large quantities of cannabis and cash, further confirming the extensive scale of the operation.

In court proceedings held during early 2024, all involved parties pleaded guilty to drug-related charges. Sentences varied, with significant terms given to Tellez and Jurado, each receiving 16-and-a-half years for their roles. Chief Inspector Darren Brown emphasized the organized and sophisticated nature of this conspiracy, revealing advanced methods used to evade law enforcement.

This case highlights the extensive efforts of a sophisticated organized crime group operating at both national and international levels. The substantial prison sentences reflect the seriousness of their activities, demonstrating the effectiveness of law enforcement in disrupting drug trafficking operations. The use of a historical vehicle for such a nefarious purpose underscores the lengths to which criminals will go in the illicit drug trade.

Original Source: www.echo-news.co.uk