THE BUBBLE BURST FOR TWO SMUGGLERS OF THE ‘CHAMPAG

THE BUBBLE BURST FOR TWO SMUGGLERS OF THE ‘CHAMPAGNE’ DRUG

COCAINE ON FRIDAY WHEN THEY WERE JAILED FOR SEVEN YEARS EACH.

ONE OF THE TWO YOUNG COLOMBIAN COURIERS WAS STOPPED AT

HEATHROW AIRPORT ON JANUARY 10 THIS YEAR – AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS

QUICKLY ARRESTED THE SECOND.

AT ISLEWORTH CROWN COURT JUDGE DEREK HOLDEN SAID:’THIS IS A

HORRIFIC AND HORRENDOUS DRUG KNOWN BY SOME STUPID PEOPLE AS THE

CHAMPAGNE DRUG BECAUSE OF ITS SHORT TERM EUPHORIC EFFECT.

‘LEADS TO DEGRADATION, SUFFERING AND ILLNESS – AND THESE

COURTS TAKE A SERIOUS VIEW OF SUCH SUBSTANTIAL IMPORTATION.

‘

STUDENT AT HAMMERSMITH COLLEGE GINA GOMEZ-OSORIO, 24, OF

GREENCROFT GARDENS, KILBURN, AND SECRETARY AT A FULHAM CINEMA, LUIZ

PIEDRAHITA-TREJOS, 27, OF EARLS COURT SQUARE, EARLS COURT, BOTH

ADMITTED ILLEGALLY IMPORTING A TOTAL OF MORE THAN A KILO OF COCAINE.

.

THE COURT HEARD MRS TREJOS WAS STOPPED AS SHE WALKED THROUGH

THE ‘GREEN CHANNEL’ AT THE AIRPORT.

SHE HAD FLOWN FROM SPAIN EN ROUTE

FROM COLUMBIA.

MR DAVID PAGET, PROSECUTING, SAID HER BAGS WERE EXAMINED AND

JUST OVER HALF A KILO OF THE DRUG WAS FOUND HIDDEN IN COSMETICS

CAONTAINERS.

BUT HE SAID MRS OSORIO HAD GONE THROUGH CUSTOMS TO BE

REUNITED WITH HER TWIN SISTER MARIA QUARADEGHINI AND HER BOYFRIEND.

MR PAGET SAID THE TWIN SUSPECTED NOTHING UNTIL SHE SAW THE

COSMETIC CONTAINERS – AND HID THEM IN AN OVEN DRAWER.

‘BUT CUSTOMS

OFFICERS CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND FOUND THE REMAINING HALF KILO OF

COCAINE.

‘

QUARADEGHINI ADMITTED POSSESSION OF 284 GRAMMES OF COCAINE

AND WAS SENTENCED TO NINE MONTHS JAIL SUSPENDED FOR TWO YEARS.

SHE

LEFT THE COURT IN TEARS AS HER SISTER WAS TAKEN DOWN.

MR DAVID POWNALL, FOR OSORIO, SAID:’SHE MET SOMEONE IN THE

WEST END WHO SEDUCED HER IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE, IN PARTICULAR WITH

REGARD TO BRINGING IN THE DRUG.

‘

AND MR JOHN GREAVES, FOR TREJOS, SAID THE TWO WERE PROMISED A

SHARE OF #7,000 FOR ACTING AS COURIERS BUT MADE NOTHING OUT OF THE

DEAL.

‘THEY ALL COME FROM GOOD FAMILIES ON WHOM THEY HAVE BROUGHT

SHAME AND DISGRACE.

‘

ENDS