Court Finds Bulgarian National and Albanians Guilty of Smuggling Cocaine into the UK

A Bulgarian national and four Albanians were convicted in an English court for drug trafficking worth 200 million British pounds. The gang, comprising one Bulgarian man and four Albanians, was found guilty of smuggling cocaine from Latin America into the UK, according to reports from the BBC.

The group was apprehended in February 2021, following a lengthy investigation. After more than three years, the trial concluded on Friday, with sentencing set for November 11. Petko Zhutev, the Bulgarian, along with Albanians Gergii Diko and Bruno Kutsi, pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug smuggling operation, while Eric Mutsi and Olsi Ebeja were convicted of involvement.

Law enforcement officials indicated that the case exemplified how criminals with ulterior motives can exploit an existing, legitimate business to evade suspicion. The operation was carried out through Agro Food Ltd, which underwent ownership changes in December 2020, with Zhutev being appointed as its director.

A shipment consisting of 41 pallets of bananas arrived at Portsmouth port on a cargo vessel from Colombia and was subsequently taken to the company's warehouse in North London. However, authorities were already aware of the shipment's true nature, which contained 2,330 blocks of one kilogram of cocaine. Zhutev personally signed for the delivery from undercover police acting as truck drivers, leading to the gang's arrests.