DRUG DEALERS HIRED THE TWO MOST UNLIKELY LOOKING C

DRUG DEALERS HIRED THE TWO MOST UNLIKELY LOOKING COURIERS TO

SMUGGLE #100,000 WORTH OF CANNABIS INTO BRITAIN FROM SOUTH AFRICA

A COURT HEARD TODAY (TUES).

INSTEAD OF THE MORE TYPICAL DRUG-RUNNERS A PAIR OF OLD AGE

PENSIONERS WERE OFFERED #2,000 EACH TO CARRY THE DRUG INTO THE

COUNTRY.

SMARTLY DRESSED STEPHEN ALEXANDER, 66, AND WALTER SUTHERLAND,

67, POSING AS BUSINESSMEN WITH COPIES OF THE LONDON ‘FINANCIAL

TIMES’ UNDER THEIR ARMS, HAD THE NEAR PERFECT COVER SOUTHWARK CROWN

COURT, LONDON, WAS TOLD.

AND DURING A ONE DAY VISIT TO DURBAN THE ELDERLEY

PAIR PICKED-UP OVER ONE HUNDREDWEIGHT OF HERBAL CANNABIS, SAID MR

MICHAEL STUART-MOORE PROSECUTING.

THE ELEGANT COVER WOULD HAVE GONE PERFECTLY EXCEPT THAT OFFICERS

FROM SCOTLAND YARD’S SERIOUS CRIME SQUAD HAD BEEN TIPPED OFF.

IN AN ELABORATE OPERATION INVOLVING LIASON WITH OFFICERS FROM

SOUTH AFRICA’S NARCOTICS BUREAU THE WHOLE PLOT WAS CAREFULLY

WATCHED, ADDED COUNSEL
LED BY DETECTIVE INSPECTOR STANLEY GRIFFIN, YARD OFFICERS

KEPT WATCH ON ALEXANDER’S LONDON HOTEL AND FOLLOWED THE PAIR TO

HEATHROW’S INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURE LOUNGE ON OCTOBER 25TH LAST YEAR.

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CENTRAL/PENSIONERS.

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SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE PICKED UP THE TRAIL AND WHEN SUTHERLAND AND

ALEXANDER ARRIVED BACK IN BRITAIN THE NEXT DAY ON SEPARATE FLIGHTS

WITH THE DRUG PACKED INTO FOUR LARGE SUITCASES POLICE WERE WAITING

FOR THEM, SAID MR STUART-MOORE.

DETECTIVE INSPECTOR.

GRIFFIN’S TEAM FOLLOWED AND THEN WATCHED AS

THE PAIR MET TWO OTHER MEN – FIRST AT THE HEATHROW AIRPORT AND

LATER AT THE FORUM HOTEL IN CROMWELL ROAD, SOUTH KENSINGTON.

DURING THE NIGHT AND THE NEXT DAY POLICE USING SOPHISTICATED

BUGGING DEVICES LISTENED IN WHILE THE COURIERS WAITED FOR THEIR

ORDERS.

THEN ON OCTOBER 30 LAST YEAR POLICE MOVED IN ARRESTING THE PAIR

AND THE GANG’S PAYMASTER, 31 YEAR-OLD NEIL HUNTER, FINDING OVER

#9,000 IN CASH ON HIM AND IN HIS CAR.

WHEN QUESTIONED ALL THREE WERE ”TOTALLY UNCOOPERATIVE” SAID

MR.

STUART-MOORE.

HUNTER TOLD POLICE ”I’M GUTTED AND DON’T WANT TO

SAY ANYTHING UNTIL MY SOLICTOR GETS HERE”, WHILE SUTHERLAND CLAIMED

HE HAD WON MONEY ON THE HORSES AND HAD GONE TO SOUTH AFRICA FOR A

SHORT HOLIDAY.

”I HAVE ONLY GOT MY OLD AGE PENSION AND COULDN’T AFFORD TO

STAY LONGER,” HE TOLD POLICE, SAID MR STUART-MOORE.

ALEXANDER OF NO FIXED ADDRESS AND SUTHERLAND OF PORCHESTER ROAD,

BAYSWATER, BOTH PLEADED GUILTY TO BEING CONCERNED IN THE IMPORTATION

OF CANNABIS IN OCTOBER 1985.

HUNTER, A STREET TRADER OF BALNACRAIG

AVENUE, KILBURN, PLEADED GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO SUPPLY CANNABIS.

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SUTHERLAND ”FELL PREY TO THE TEMPTATION OF EASY MONEY ON THIS

ONE OCCASION,” SAID MR CHRISTOPHER KINCH DEFENDING.

ALEXANDER NEEDED CASH TO PAY OFF GAMBLING DEBTS.

SENTENCING EACH TO THREE AND A HALF YEARS IMPRISONMENT JUDGE

MARCUS ANWYL-DAVIES QC TOLD ALEXANDER AND SUTHERLAND: ”YOU WERE

STRANGE COURIERS FOUND BY AN ORGANISATION WHICH NORMALLY SEEKS OUT

WEAKLINGS.

”DETERRENT SENTENCES MUST BE PASSED BECAUSE COURTS THROUGHOUT

THE LAND ARE WELL AWARE OF THE HUMILIATION AND DEGRADATION THAT IS

CAUSED BY THIS FILTHY TRADE.

THIS WAS A LARGE SCALE IMPORTATION,”

HE ADDED.

HUNTER WHO WAS ”FAR MORE DEEPLY INVOLVED” WAS JAILED FOR FIVE

AND HALF YEARS.

DET INSP GRIFFIN TOLD THE COURT THAT THIS WAS ONLY THE SECOND

TIME THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF CANNABIS HAS BEEN FOUND COMING IN FROM

SOUTH AFRICA.

OUTSIDE COURT HE SAID THAT AS A RESULT OF THE JOINT OPERATION,

SIX TONS OF CANNABIS WAS SEIZED IN SOUTH AFRICA, LEADING TO THE

JAILING OF TWO MEN, INCLUDING A BRITON, LAST YEAR.

ENDS