Man jailed for importing £125k cocaine in toolbox

Tuesday 17 September 2024

An English man who attempted to smuggle half a kilo of cocaine worth £125,000 into the island using a toolbox hidden in his van has been sent to prison for eight years.

Customs stopped 45-year-old Andrew Lane at the harbour as he drove off the Portsmouth ferry in April in a rented white van full of tools and equipment.

Pictured: The rented van that Lane was driving contained lots of tools and equipment. 

He was accompanied by two other males — one being his stepson.

When asked why he had come to Jersey, Lane told officials he was a renderer due to undertake work for properties that had suffered storm damage.

When Customs searched the vehicle, they found a package wrapped in orange tape concealed under some tools within a toolbox.

Lane admitted the package contained cocaine and that the other two males "had nothing to do with it".

Pictured: The cocaine-filled package and orange tape found within Lane's van. 

The search of the van also revealed two rolls of orange tape that were identical to that used to wrap the cocaine.

Customers later opened the package to find just under 500 grams of cocaine that had a maximum street value in Jersey of £125,000.

Lane provided "no comment" answers to all questions when interviewed by Customs, while further investigations indicated that the other two males did not have knowledge of the attempted importation.

Lane was sentenced in the Royal Court today to eight years and 3 months' imprisonment.

Following the sentencing, JCIS Senior Manager Luke Goddard said: "This seizure was made following diligent work carried out by JCIS Border Officers.

"Seizures such as this will always result in continued investigation by JCIS Officers to identify and prosecute others involved in significant drug trafficking activity."

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