Alan Edwards and his wife Tina, of Kings Norton, were key players in a sophisticated "carousel" trafficking ring
Alan Edwards and his wife Tina, of Kings Norton, were key players in a sophisticated "carousel" trafficking ring that used the same goods to hide drugs.
A shipment of industrial rollers was employed to hide cocaine, cannabis and the potentially deadly cutting agent phenacetin.But their conspiracy unravelled when a Brussels warehouse employee became suspicious of the goods. He secretly marked the shipment and called in the Belgian authorities when it came through again one week later.A search disclosed the rollers contained 20kg of cocaine, 365kg of herbal cannabis and 10kg of phenacetin. Belgian police contacted the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) who launched a surveillance operation to find out where the drugs were headed.Officers looked on as Alan Edwards drove the drugs from Birmingham to Dublin, where Irish police picked up the trail. The international investigation found the rollers were sent back and forth between Holland, where they were filled with drugs, and Dublin, where they were unloaded.A second company, Birmingham-based JBS Transport, was also found to be linked to the drug smuggling operation.Investigators found a consignment of sea scooters and mini-motorbikes that repeatedly travelled between Holland and Dublin concealed cocaine.Edwards and his wife, both aged 50, were found guilty of drugs offences at Birmingham Crown Court today, a Soca spokesman said.Also found guilty were driver John Gilbert, 49, of Birmingham Road, Oldbury, JBS Transport manager Barry Phipps, 46, of Walmley, Sutton Coldfield, and driver David Cullen, 53, of Quinton, Birmingham. The gang will be sentenced at a later date.
A shipment of industrial rollers was employed to hide cocaine, cannabis and the potentially deadly cutting agent phenacetin.But their conspiracy unravelled when a Brussels warehouse employee became suspicious of the goods. He secretly marked the shipment and called in the Belgian authorities when it came through again one week later.A search disclosed the rollers contained 20kg of cocaine, 365kg of herbal cannabis and 10kg of phenacetin. Belgian police contacted the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) who launched a surveillance operation to find out where the drugs were headed.Officers looked on as Alan Edwards drove the drugs from Birmingham to Dublin, where Irish police picked up the trail. The international investigation found the rollers were sent back and forth between Holland, where they were filled with drugs, and Dublin, where they were unloaded.A second company, Birmingham-based JBS Transport, was also found to be linked to the drug smuggling operation.Investigators found a consignment of sea scooters and mini-motorbikes that repeatedly travelled between Holland and Dublin concealed cocaine.Edwards and his wife, both aged 50, were found guilty of drugs offences at Birmingham Crown Court today, a Soca spokesman said.Also found guilty were driver John Gilbert, 49, of Birmingham Road, Oldbury, JBS Transport manager Barry Phipps, 46, of Walmley, Sutton Coldfield, and driver David Cullen, 53, of Quinton, Birmingham. The gang will be sentenced at a later date.
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