A cocaine smuggler, who had £423,000 worth of the drug stashed in a side panels of his cases as he stepped off a plane at London City Airport, was jailed for four-and-a-half years today.
Malcolm Sayers, 49, (pictured) of Bute Street, Cardiff initially claimed he thought he was smuggling gold dust, but this was dismissed as "hogwash" by a judge.
He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to importing almost 3.5 kilos of cocaine on January 30.
Prosecutor Mr. Julius Capon told the court Sayers was stopped after flying in from Paris, which was the final leg of a journey, which began in Dakar, Senegal.
"The drug were found in the side panel of his suitcase and briefcase," explained Mr. Capon. "The defendant claims he believed he was smuggling gold dust and the prosecution say that proposition is ridiculous."
Judge Jeremy Gold QC agreed, announcing: "It sounds like hogwash."
Sayers' lawyer told the court his client has a girlfriend in Dakar, but did not have enough money to fly home.
"He did not have the funds to return to the U.K. to his eighty-three year-old mother who lives alone. Initially he was told it was gold dust and did not ask any questions.
"He does accept there was something suspicious about these cases."
Ex-heroin addict Sayers was also suffering withdrawal symptoms after running out of his methadone prescription in Dakar and was anxious to return home for more medication.
"He has a history of drug abuse in his earlier years," added the lawyer, revealing Sayers has been on heroin-substitute methadone for ten to fifteen years."
The defendant was also ordered to pay £300 prosecution costs and £240 cash seized from him at City Airport was forfeited.
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