A 57-year-old Indian-origin man Rajesh Bakshi has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in the United Kingdom after admitting his role in a major heroin smuggling plot, his co-conspirator Jon-Paul Clark, aged 44, has received nine years of imprisonment following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court
Heroin Worth £4 Million Seized
The case began when officers of the National Crime Agency NCA intercepted a consignment of Class A heroin valued at four million pounds at the port of Dover in June 2022, forensic checks identified Bakshi’s fingerprints on the seized shipment, directly linking him to the smuggling attempt
Clark tried to distance himself from the crime during the trial, claiming that his DNA was found on the drugs because he had worn Bakshi’s sweater, the jury rejected this explanation completely
NCA Statement
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Jules Harriman said that the evidence against both men was strong and clear
Digital Trail Exposed Their Movements
Investigators found several pieces of evidence connecting the duo to the smuggling attempt
- Mobile phone records showed both Bakshi and Clark in the Netherlands and Belgium in the days before the seizure
- A photo of them together was recovered from Clark’s phone, taken just days before the drugs were intercepted
- Text messages revealed Clark asking Bakshi for cash in the weeks after the seizure
- Bakshi already had multiple previous convictions related to drug offences
Sentencing
Canterbury Crown Court delivered the sentences this week, giving
- 10 years to Rajesh Bakshi who pleaded guilty
- 9 years to Jon-Paul Clark who was convicted after trial
The NCA stated that it will continue its efforts to combat the threat posed by Class A drug trafficking networks operating in the UK and abroad
