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Indian origin men jailed in UK for conspiracy to smuggle $36million worth drugs
The scheme came to light after Anand Tripathi and Varun Bhardwaj failed to divert a consignment of cocaine which instead reached a farmer, resulting in police involvement
Anand Tripathi (L), Anand Bhardwaj (R) were sentenced for 15 and 19 years respectively in the UK for scheming to move assorted drugs in the UK / Crown Prosecution Service
Two Indian origin men were handed lengthy prison sentences in the UK after their plan to move £28.9 million (US$ 36.6 million) worth of assorted drugs around the country was foiled after a farmer accidentally spotted a consignment of cocaine and reported it to the police.
Anand Tripathi, 61, and Varun Bhardwaj, 39, were convicted during a hearing conducted at Isleworth Crown Court in November following a 71-day trial. Tripathi was convicted of three counts: importing cocaine, importing cannabis, and evading duty payable on cigarettes. He was handed 15 years, 10 years, and five years, for the respective counts, all to be served at the same time, hence a total sentence of 15 years.
Bhardwaj was convicted of the same counts, however, he was awarded a longer prison sentence, 19 years, 10 years, and five years, respectively. He was also sentenced on two further counts: possession of cannabis (one year) and failing to disclose a PIN number to a mobile phone (one year). These sentences are to be concurrently served, and Bhardwaj will serve prison time for a total of 19 years.
During the trial, the court heard that the duo imported 272.86 kilograms of cocaine, 2,503.36 kilograms of cannabis through four shipments between September 2021 and November 2022. Two of these shipments carrying the concealed drugs were of imported fruits and vegetables coming in from Ghana and South Africa.
Their scheme involved the duo using their freight company as a cover to clear shipping containers carrying drugs and cigarettes and diverting them to their intended destination to a warehouse where they would be offloaded by organized crime groups. The scheme was busted after they failed to divert one contained which reached a farm in Somerset in April 2022. The farmer spotted plastic covered blocks of cocaine, hidden in animal feed imported from Colombia.
"This conspiracy was only made possible by Anand Tripathi’s experience in importation and customs clearance, and Varun Bhardwaj’s willingness to assume day to day management of their operation,” said Richard Partridge with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Partridge said there were others involved in the scheme who are yet to be identified, and this bust resulting in substantial prison sentences should be taken as a warning by organized crime groups.
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