A sophisticated drug smuggling operation has been thwarted, resulting in one of the UK's largest-ever cocaine seizures. The gang attempted to bring £200 million worth of cocaine into the country hidden within a shipment of bananas from South America.
The operation’s exposure comes after a prolonged court process, allowing the BBC to reveal the details of how the crime was foiled.
The National Crime Agency (NCA), in collaboration with undercover police officers, dismantled the operation in February 2021. Using a well-established fruit and vegetable importing company as a front, the gang concealed over 2,300 kg of cocaine within pallets of bananas shipped from Colombia.
Petko Zhutev, Ghergii Diko, and Bruno Kuci admitted to smuggling the drugs into the UK, while Erik Muci and Olsi Ebeja were found guilty of their involvement following a trial at the Old Bailey. Sentencing has been set for November 11 by Judge Rebecca Trowler KC.
The plot was uncovered after the gang's chosen import company, Agro Food Ltd, changed hands in December 2020, shortly after Zhutev arrived in the UK and took over as its director. Agro Food Ltd, which had operated as a legitimate fruit and vegetable importer for five years, gave the gang a seemingly perfect cover. An undercover officer told the BBC this provided “an extra layer of protection” for the criminal organisation, describing it as one of the new strategies gangs are using to smuggle drugs.
In February 2021, Zhutev, a Bulgarian national, signed for a shipment of 41 pallets of bananas at the company's north London warehouse. What Zhutev didn’t know was that UK Border Force officers, acting on intelligence, had intercepted the shipment at Portsmouth and replaced the cocaine with dummy crates and real bananas. Some of the crates were even fitted with audio devices to capture the gang’s conversations.
The operation, which involved undercover officers posing as lorry drivers, culminated in a dramatic raid at the warehouse in Edmonton, north London. As Zhutev, Diko, and Kuci began inspecting the containers, specialist firearms officers stormed the site, arresting the gang members. Within the warehouse, officers discovered mobile phones, suitcases, and a loaded Turkish Ozkursan revolver.
John Coles, head of the NCA’s specialist operations, highlighted the scale of the operation: “This was a significant seizure, one of the biggest ever.” The 2,330 blocks of cocaine, each weighing around 1kg and valued at £30,000, represented more than half of the UK’s typical annual cocaine seizures.
Zhutev, Diko, and Kuci were charged with importing Class A drugs and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. While Zhutev initially denied involvement and was cleared of the firearm offences, a retrial on drug charges led him to plead guilty in September. Muci, described by the NCA as a key organiser, was found guilty of smuggling and supplying Class A drugs, while Ebeja, who acted as a lookout and driver, was convicted of smuggling.
Mr Coles stated there was no evidence that Agro Food Ltd’s previous owners were aware of the criminal activities. Zhutev had specifically acquired the company to use its legitimate operations as a cover for drug trafficking, continuing normal trading operations while hiding the cocaine importation.
Det Supt Simon Moring of the Metropolitan Police emphasised the potential impact of the seizure, saying the shipment could have resulted in over 2.3 million individual drug deals. He added, “That cocaine would have spilled onto the streets of London, which would have had an effect on organised crime.”
As global cocaine production reaches record levels, a United Nations report recently highlighted the significant role of Albanian-speaking groups in distributing cocaine across Europe, with the UK remaining a key destination. Coles echoed the report's findings, noting the evolving strategies used by gangs and the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in combatting drug importation.
“This case shows how far criminals will go to exploit legitimate businesses,” Coles reflected. “Now that we’ve dealt with this one, they’ll find another way.”
The case underlines the increasing complexity of the drug trade, as law enforcement agencies continue to adapt to the ever-evolving tactics of organised crime.
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