Would-Be Drug Smuggler Caught at Manchester Airport with £900,000 Worth of Cocaine in Mobility Scooter

Strategic Insights -

A would-be drug smuggler, Casimiro De Lemos-Francisco, has been sentenced to six years and nine months in prison after being caught attempting to smuggle almost £900,000 worth of cocaine hidden in a mobility scooter at Manchester Airport. De Lemos-Francisco, 56, was stopped by Border Force officers after arriving on a flight from Barbados and was found to be carrying 12.8 kilograms of cocaine worth up to £880,000 on the streets. The National Crime Agency discovered a tracking device in the scooter's battery compartment, indicating a sophisticated smuggling operation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Casimiro De Lemos-Francisco, 56, was caught attempting to smuggle £900,000 worth of cocaine hidden in a mobility scooter at Manchester Airport on March 30.
  • The scooter was X-rayed and found to contain 11 packages of cocaine weighing 12.8 kilograms, which could be worth up to £880,000 on the streets.
  • The National Crime Agency found a tracking device in the scooter's battery compartment, indicating a sophisticated smuggling operation.
  • De Lemos-Francisco claimed he was helping a woman he met on Facebook gain access to an inheritance and was in "significant debt" after being released from prison in Portugal.
  • He was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison and will likely be deported back to Portugal at some stage.
  • De Lemos-Francisco pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class A drug.

Statistics:

  • 12.8 kilograms of cocaine were found hidden in the mobility scooter.
  • The cocaine could be worth up to £880,000 on the streets.
  • The National Crime Agency found a significant amount of cocaine, highlighting the sophisticated nature of the smuggling operation.
  • Casimiro De Lemos-Francisco was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.

Sources:

  • Manchester Crown Court
  • Manchester Evening News: "Drug smuggler caught with £900,000 worth of cocaine in Manchester Airport mobility scooter" (March 30, 2023)
  • National Crime Agency press release (no date provided)
  • Court documents (no date provided)