Man jailed for attempt to import high purity cocaine

Thursday 04 January 2024

A London drugs smuggler who was caught trying to enter Jersey with high purity cocaine concealed internally has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison.

Andrew Kyriakou (55) said he was under pressure to import the drugs to repay a gambling debt.

He claimed that after he had missed the plane that was initially supposed to bring him to Jersey to make the delivery, masked men had broken into his family's home.

Kyriakou took the Condor on 12 July last year with no luggage and with a return ticket for the same day.

He was initially supposed to fly out on 11 July, but Advocate Allanna Binnie, defending, said that Kyriakou got "cold feet" about the delivery – and eventually felt such pressure that he travelled to Jersey the next day.

When questioned by Customs and Immigration officers, he said he was visiting two Jersey-based friends called Dave and Dean.

However, it was discovered that he had a return flight ticket to London that evening, allowing him only a few hours in the island.

Officers found no drugs on Kyriakou, but a scan of his mobile phone and jacket came back positive and he admitted to taking cocaine and cannabis in the days before travelling.

After he was arrested, x-rays revealed a cling-film wrapped package containing 57 grams of cocaine in his lower bowel.

Pictured: X-rays revealed a cling-film wrapped package containing 57 grams of cocaine in Kyriakou's lower bowel, which he later produced.

The data on Kyriakou's mobile phone was reviewed and showed multiple photographs from 27 and 28 January 2022 which indicated prior travel to Jersey.

The data also showed communications with an individual listed in his contacts as ‘Jersey Dave’.

Kyriakou stated that he had travelled to Jersey on two previous occasions in the last six months to see friends, but he denied importing drugs on his previous trips.

Whilst detained in July, Kyriakou also made an unsolicited comment to Customs and Immigration officers, stating: “I am going to go guilty they might go easier on me.

"I am not bringing this over for drug dealers, just a wealthy man who offered me good money to come over.”

The next day, Kyriakou produced a cling film wrapped package of cocaine.

Crown Advocate Carla Carvalho, prosecuting, said that the drugs were of particularly good quality, at 82% purity.

Their estimated street value was between £7,000 and £12,800, but they could have been cut to produce a higher quantity of lower-quality cocaine.

In interview, Kyriakou said that he had been paid £300 upfront and a further £2,000 to be paid when he delivered the drugs to Jersey.

But Advocate Binnie, said he didn't stand to make any financial gain from the drugs.

Instead, she said, it would serve to repay a gambling debt, adding: "He felt he had no other option. He saw this as an opportunity to rid [his creditors] from his life."

She added that he was just a courier and "had no idea of the purity of the drugs he was dealing with".

Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae, presiding, said that threats and violence did not constitute mitigation.

He said: "As a consequence of your offending your wife and children have been threatened and their home has been ransacked.

"Regrettably, such an occurrence is an all-too common consequence [of drugs crime] and does not in our judgement amount to mitigation."

Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae was presiding, and the Jurats sitting were Lieutenant Bailiff Jane Ronge, Kim Averty, Gareth Hughes, Karen Le Cornu and David Le Heuzé. 

Following the sentencing, Paul Le Monnier, Senior Manager at Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, said: “2023 was a busy year for our officers working at the borders and their hard work has prevented seizures such as this from reaching the streets of Jersey. 

“Jersey Customs and Immigration Service will continue to put every effort into protecting our island.”