LAWRENCE: FORMER LORRY DRIVER WANTED OVER COCAINE PLOT TO BE EXTRADITED TO ITALY
A former lorry driver for the supermarket chain Morrison’s is to be extradited to Italy where he is suspected of involvement in an international cocaine dealing cartel.
Mark Lawrence, 43, faces up to 30 years behind bars if he is convicted of crimes including conspiracy to import cocaine between December 2008 and March 2009.
Lawrence, from Brixton, is also accused of smuggling 1,750kg of the Class A drug into Perugia on January 12, 2009, then a further 12kg into another Italian town on March 28, 2009.
Natalie Soule, prosecuting, said Lawrence is a suspected member of a ‘very large organisation’ of Albanian drug dealers operating in their home country, Italy and Belgium.
She told City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court: ‘This person is of Albanian origin although he is now of British citizenship, having changed his name to Mark Lawrence some years ago.
‘A number of other people have been arrested in connection with these charges including Mr Lawrence’s wife, who was picked up in Gatwick in May this year.
‘The amount of drugs involved on the two specific charges is extremely high.
‘Each of them carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and it’s 30 years for the conspiracy.’
Lawrence, who has lived in the UK for 12 years, was arrested near his home in south west London yesterday after handing himself in to police.
The father-of-two drove lorries for Morrison’s for six years but is currently on disability benefits because of diabetic complications.
His wife, from whom he is separated, has since returned to Britain after the charges against her were dropped.
Renata Pinter, defending, said: ‘My client is keen to go back to Italy as soon as possible to fight his case.
‘He denies these allegations and hopefully his lawyers are going to be able to get them dropped as soon as possible.’
Lawrence, of (84) Kettleby House, Barrington Road, Brixton, has seven days to appeal against his extradition, which will otherwise go ahead within 17 days.
In the meantime, he was granted bail on the conditions he surrendered his passport, observed an electronically-monitored curfew and paid a £3,000 security to the court.
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