An international drugs smuggling gang who flew £1.7 million of cocaine in a light aircraft from France were arrested once it had touched down at a Northamptonshire airfield, a court heard today.
The Corby-based gang were already under police surveillance when they plotted to smuggle five kilos of cocaine into the UK from Europe.
Having bought a light aircraft, they arranged for the drugs to be transported from The Netherlands to France and then flown into an old World War Two airfield near Corby. However, they were arrested when the plane touched down and the drugs were found in a wing compartment.
Wayne Burgess, 36, spent six months learning to fly a micro-light, which they bought for £31,000 cash, in order to bring the drugs into the country and in June last year, courier Richard Murray, 50, travelled to Amsterdam to collect the cocaine.
Northampton Crown Court heard he then travelled to Abbeville airfield in France where he met Burgess and handed over the drugs.
Murray, and the woman he travelled with to The Netherlands, were arrested at Dover on their return to the UK.
James Thomas, prosecuting, said: “On Sunday, June 26, 2011, Burgess was arrested at Deenthorpe Airfield, near Corby. He had arrived in a micro-light from France and concealed inside were five kilos of cocaine with a purity ranging between 59 and 89 per cent.
“At the heart of the conspiracy was Adel Chouhaib.
“The Crown says he organised the importation and he was closely assisted by James and Christopher McGlone and also by Abdelilah Hilali.”
The court heard the conspiracy was organised by Chouhaib, who arranged for Burgess to be trained as a pilot, and for the drugs to delivered to the French airfield, at a time when he was already on bail for conspiracy to supply cannabis.
Adel Chouhaib, 33, of Lingfield Walk, Corby; James McGlone, 30 , and Christopher McGlone, 27, both of Occupation Road, Corby; Hilali, 35, of Marsham Road, London; and Burgess, of Westfields Road, Corby, have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import class A drugs.
They are due to be sentenced today by Judge Lynn Tayton QC once she had determined whether Chouhaib is the ringleader, which he denies.
Murray, of Green Hill Rise, Corby , who has also pleaded guilty, is due to be sentenced on Friday.
Chouhaib is already awaiting sentence for a conspiracy to supply cannabis from drugs house in Grendon Avenue, Corby.
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