Two women have been arrested in Jamaica for allegedly trying to smuggle £170,000-worth of cocaine into the UK under their wigs.The drugs seized are said to have a street value of £170,000A spokeswoman from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the women, aged 17 and 20, are from Derby.They were arrested as they boarded a plane bound for London, allegedly wearing wigs with around 2.3kg of cocaine stitched into the hair.The pair, both unemployed, had been on holiday in Jamaica for two weeks before their arrests.They are alleged to have told police officers that they were to receive £4,000 for smuggling the drugs into the UK, said the HMRC spokeswoman.
"We anticipate the two will be charged with committing drug smuggling offences and appear in court in Jamaica tomorrow."The arrests were part of Operation Airbridge, a joint UK-Jamaican collaboration to catch drugs couriers before they board planes from Jamaica.Tony Walker, of the UK Border Agency and head of Operation Airbridge, said: "The dedication of the UK and Jamaican drugs detection officers has prevented deadly class A drugs from entering the UK."The Airbridge Operation is delivering real results in this and other cases by helping to protect both countries from the violence and corruption that always accompanies the trade in illegal drugs."
Operation Airbridge was launched in June 2002 by the British and Jamaican governments to tackle the increasing number of couriers, or "mules", smuggling cocaine between Jamaica and the UK.The number detected at UK airports from Jamaica has fallen from around 1,000 a year to five in 2007, the HMRC said.
"We anticipate the two will be charged with committing drug smuggling offences and appear in court in Jamaica tomorrow."The arrests were part of Operation Airbridge, a joint UK-Jamaican collaboration to catch drugs couriers before they board planes from Jamaica.Tony Walker, of the UK Border Agency and head of Operation Airbridge, said: "The dedication of the UK and Jamaican drugs detection officers has prevented deadly class A drugs from entering the UK."The Airbridge Operation is delivering real results in this and other cases by helping to protect both countries from the violence and corruption that always accompanies the trade in illegal drugs."
Operation Airbridge was launched in June 2002 by the British and Jamaican governments to tackle the increasing number of couriers, or "mules", smuggling cocaine between Jamaica and the UK.The number detected at UK airports from Jamaica has fallen from around 1,000 a year to five in 2007, the HMRC said.
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