Eurostar Heroin Smuggler Had Swallowed Drugs

Isleworth Crown Court

A heroin smuggler, who swallowed sixty-five packets of the drug before boarding a Eurostar train from Brussels to London, had been jailed for three years.

William Sowersby, 46, of High View Road, Crystal Palace was stopped by Border Force officers at St. Pancras International.

He pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing 749 gms of 15-16% pure heroin on June 24.

Prosecutor Mr. Douglas Adams told Isleworth Crown Crown two suspicious packets fell to the floor from Sowersby's groin area when he was stopped.

A further nine packets containing white powder and one packet containing brown powder were discovered and the defendant admited to the officer he was a heroin user.

He claimed he had travelled to Belgium to lay flowers at the roadside where his daughter died in an accident two years ago, but later conceded this was a lie.

Sowersby admitted swallowing more packets and later passed sixty-five of them while in custody.

He showed officers marks on his arm indicting intravenous heroin use and agreed his trip to Brussels was simply to collect the drug.

Sowersby, who lives on disability benefit and housing benefit, said he owed a drug dealer £1200 and £1500 in other debts.

The dealer bought the ticket so he could wipe out the debt, said the defendant.