London:
Two brothers of Indian origin in the East Midlands town of Leicester have been jailed for 25 and 18 years respectively after being convicted of their roles in a major heroin-smuggling racket.
Babu Natha Sarasia, 44, and his brother Bharat Ram Sarasia, 45, were jailed at the Nottingham Crown Court for 25 and 18 years respectively.
They were convicted of being key players in a conspiracy to smuggle the drug from Turkey to UK.
In July 2007, the brothers were caught when 18 kg of the drug was found in hollowed-out pallets bound for a backstreet car showroom in Leicester.
The highly compressed heroin was estimated to be worth 1.3 million pounds.
In what was described as the one of the largest seizures made by the Leicestershire police, the consignment was officially listed as imported chiller units, and was intercepted by customs officers in Birmingham.
Officials removed the heroin and allowed the consignment to continue its journey to Leicester under police surveillance.
The police then swooped and arrested the two brothers when it was delivered to a motors showroom in the Leicester city centre.
Babu Natha Sarasia, 44, and his brother Bharat Ram Sarasia, 45, were jailed at the Nottingham Crown Court for 25 and 18 years respectively.
They were convicted of being key players in a conspiracy to smuggle the drug from Turkey to UK.
In July 2007, the brothers were caught when 18 kg of the drug was found in hollowed-out pallets bound for a backstreet car showroom in Leicester.
The highly compressed heroin was estimated to be worth 1.3 million pounds.
In what was described as the one of the largest seizures made by the Leicestershire police, the consignment was officially listed as imported chiller units, and was intercepted by customs officers in Birmingham.
Officials removed the heroin and allowed the consignment to continue its journey to Leicester under police surveillance.
The police then swooped and arrested the two brothers when it was delivered to a motors showroom in the Leicester city centre.
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