‘Attempts to cheat justice’: Indian-origin man jailed in UK for smuggling 40 kg heroin; aide tried to ‘pull wool over jury’s eyes’

An Indian-origin man and his associate have been jailed in the UK for attempting to smuggle £4 million worth of heroin into the country, following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.

Rajesh Bakshi, 57, from East Lothian in Scotland, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years after he admitted to the conspiracy, while co-conspirator Jon-Paul Clark, 44, received nine years despite claiming his DNA was found on the drugs only because he had worn Bakshi’s sweater.

The consignment, containing 40 kg of heroin, was intercepted at the port of Dover in June 2022.

“My officers built a solid case against Clark, who clearly tried to pull the wool over the jury’s eyes," Jules Harriman, NCA’s Senior Investigating Officer, said, as cited by PTI.

“There was clear evidence of his guilt and the jury saw through his attempts to cheat justice. Both offenders didn’t have the slightest care for the impact class A drugs have on our communities. The NCA, working with partners at home and abroad, will continue to do everything possible to fight the threat of Class A drugs,” he added.

Both men were sentenced by Canterbury Crown Court this week. According to the NCA, phone data showed Clark and Bakshi had travelled through the Netherlands and Belgium in the days before the heroin shipment was intercepted at the UK port.

“Officers found a photo of Clark and Bakshi together on Clark’s phone taken just days before the drugs were intercepted. Texts were also found of Clark asking Bakshi for cash in the weeks following the seizure," NCA stated.

Bakshi reportedly has several prior convictions, including offences related to conspiring to supply controlled drugs.