110m load is fishy
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• A Customs & Excise sting has led to six men being jailed for a total of 94 years for cocaine trafficking.
An artic being driven by 33year-old Americo Bargiela arrived at Portsmouth by ferry from France on Ti' October 2001. His load was mainly frozen fish, but also included 166kg of cocaine with a street value of £10 million.
Bargiela set off towards London followed by an Astra car containing other members of the gang. Customs officers had been watching the group since the beginning of October, and swooped as it left the M25 and entered a lorry park adjacent to the South Mimms service station.
Bargieta, Javier CasesGomez and Eusebio St Jorge all pleaded guilty at once. Pedros Rios, Alvaro Ferradas and one other, who cannot be named, stood trial on 5 February 2003 in Guildford. All received between 11arxi 22 years.
Judge Bassingthwaighte said: "This is an abhorrence to society. Those engaged in trafficking must accept the risks of severe sentencing when greed overtakes basic instinct," Customs said it was a 'significant result".