A dopey drug smuggler carrying almost £6m worth of cocaine into the UK tried to claim he only had sombreros in his luggage. Kristopher Purvis, 35, has been jailed for 10 years after a Mexican standoff with customs officials at the airport.
He pretended to be an ‘innocuous tourist’ after arriving from Mexico on a flight via Paris. But his four large souvenir hats were hiding a huge drug stash covered in mustard to keep sniffer dogs off the scent. The 48kg of cocaine had a street value of £5.6m. Purvis, from County Durham, admitted smuggling offences. The High Court in Edinburgh heard he had acted as a courier to pay off a drug debt. He went to the green ‘Nothing to Declare’ channel before he was stopped by a Border Force officer on arrival at the city’s airport.
Advocate Depute Brian Gill KC told the court: “He said that the only thing that he had acquired in Mexico was the sombreros.”
Drugs packaged and covered in a strong smelling liquid were uncovered, the court heard. Judge Lord Summers told Purvis: “The drugs were concealed in two suitcases smeared with mustard, no doubt to put sniffer dogs off the scent.
“On any view, this is an exceptionally large haul of drugs. As you know these drugs are capable of causing immense harm to society.”
When airport officials searched Purvis’s suitcase last July, eight vacuum sealed plastic packages were found. Another officer searched his companion’s case and a further seven packages of the Class A drug were recovered. Purvis stood to have a £5,000 drugs debt wiped out with a £20,000 payment for acting as a courier, the court heard. Speaking after the case, Donnie Lawrie, of the National Crime Agency, said: “Kristopher Purvis attempted to appear like an innocuous tourist. “He claimed to only be carrying sombrero souvenirs. The truth was, the luggage he was carrying contained millions of pounds worth of drugs.”
Moira Orr, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), added: “This was a substantial attempt to bring significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs through Scotland. “With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm that these drugs inflict on communities.”
A second man was arrested who pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial date has been set for November.
Detective Chief Inspector Laura Sands, Police Scotland, said: “This conviction and sentencing serves as yet another example of our ongoing commitment to target the supply and distribution of controlled drugs across Scotland.
“It remains an absolute priority for the Organised Crime Partnership and its partners.
“This intervention and subsequent detection disrupted an attempt to bring a significant volume of class A controlled drugs into the country.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that information from our local communities is an essential part of our investigations, as we work to disrupt the drugs trade and work with our partners to bring those responsible to justice.”
Purvis appeared at Edinburgh High Court pleaded guilty to the importation and being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs
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