PLUMBER WHO TURNED DRUG SMUGGLER

Colin Hutton • Published 8 Sep 2009 15:00

£120,000 of cocaine hidden inside BMW

A DRUG smuggling plumber from Dumbarton has admitted trying to sneak £120,000 of cocaine into Britain.

Stephen Atyeo was stopped by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers when he arrived at Dover on a ferry from Calais.

The 44-year-old appeared at Canterbury Crown Court last week where he admitted trying to bring four packages of the class A drug - weighing a total of three kilos - into the country.

Atyeo, from Hawthornhill Road, Castlehill, hid the cocaine in the air vents and beneath the rear seats of his car and was handed an 11-year sentence last week.

The incident took place on June 30 and the Reporter broke the story of Atyeo's arrest in July.

Malcolm Bragg, assistant director for HMRC Criminal Investigations, said: "This is another example of our determination to bring anyone involved in drug smuggling to justice.

"Drugs devastate lives and communities and we are determined to prevent drugs reaching UK streets. Anyone with information relating to smuggled goods or other illegal activities should contact HMRC's 24-hour hotline on 0800 59 5000."

Confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act are ongoing.

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This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 08 Sep 09

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