Drug smuggler, Raheem Bailey of Leytonstone, was jailed for £5m cocaine operation

Raheem Bailey, 44, of Southwest Road, Leytonstone, is the ninth member of international drug smuggling gang to be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday (May 22).

Seven of his cohorts have already been sentenced to a total of 82 years in jail for their part in the conspiracy spanning the Caribbean, Europe and the UK.

An eighth person received a suspended sentence.

Cocaine concealed in a children's puzzle.

Bailey arranged the importation of drugs from the Caribbean to the UK, via Belgium and Holland, between April 2014 and July 2014.

A joint operation between MPS Central Task Force, Border Force and National Crime Agency managed to bring the criminals to a halt.

They began by intercepting a number of drug couriers after they touched down at London City Airport. 

On April 27 last year, officers arrested Greg Stoby, 39, of Barclay Road, Leytonstone, as he arrived from Rotterdam.

In his luggage he had approximately 8kg of cocaine concealed in a laptop bag and a jigsaw puzzle box, which was wrapped in children's gift paper.

Officers then arrested Shauna-Rae Howell, 27, of Lewisham, after she was found to be carrying 7kg of cocaine, with two packages of cocaine in the lining of her handbag, and a waterproof box and a gift-wrapped jigsaw puzzle box crammed with more as she arrived at the airport.

Cocaine concealed in children's presents.

Officers stopped a number of gang members as they tried to take thousands of Euros to Brussels, where it is believed they would have been used to pay for drugs and fund travel arrangements. 

On June 3 last year, officers arrested Wesley Headley, 34, of Hackney, as he tried to board a plane at Heathrow Airport when he was found to have €141,000 concealed in his suitcase. 

On June 8, they arrested Atarah Pinder, 25, of Hoddesdon, at the Eurostar terminal in London, after he was found to have €56,000 in cash in his suitcase.

Following these failed smuggling attempts, Bailey began importing the drugs directly from the Caribbean but again was thwarted by the MPS and Border Force on a day of coordinated arrest warrants. 

On July 3, husband and wife Helmut Rutke, 64, and Britta Rutke, 53, both from Hamburg, flew from the Caribbean to London Gatwick to meet Bailey.

Officers intercepted them when they arrived shortly before 8am.

The pair was arrested after 8kg of cocaine was found concealed within their suitcases.

When Bailey arrived to collect the drugs, he too was arrested.

Officers searched Bailey’s safe house in Sydenham and found a drugs lab set up in the kitchen.

They recovered approximately 451g of crack cocaine, approximately 1kg of cannabis, a currency converter and approximately £81,000 in cash. 

That day they also arrested Wesley Headley and Atarah Pinder at their home addresses.

Headley failed to flush around 13g of heroin, 14g of crack cocaine and a Rolex watch down the toilet as police entered the house.

Another two gang members, Andrew Stephenson, 47, and Darren Sappleton, 25, both of Greenwich, who had recruited the drugs couriers and arranged their travel, were also arrested that day.

Detective Constable Mike Stonehouse from the Met’s Central Task Force said: “This joint operation was lengthy and complex.

“It has prevented millions of pounds-worth of illegal drugs flooding UK streets, spreading misery in our communities.

“An international and highly organised crime group has also been put behind bars.

“This illustrates our determination to catch the people at the top of these criminal networks, those managing the smuggling, and those who are physically bringing the drugs into the UK.”