Indian-origin couple jailed for 33 years in U.K. for exporting over half tonne cocaine to Australia

Indian-origin couple sentenced to 33 years in prison for exporting over half a tonne of cocaine to Australia.

An Indian-origin couple in the U.K., whose extradition was sought by India on charges of the murder of their adopted son in Gujarat, has been sentenced to 33 years in prison each after being convicted of exporting more than half a tonne of cocaine to Australia.

Arti Dhir, 59, and Kavaljitsinh Raijada, 35, from Hanwell in Ealing were identified by the National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators after Australian Border Force intercepted the cocaine worth £57 million upon its arrival in Sydney in ay 2021, the agency said in a statement on Monday.

The couple was behind a front company that had sent the drugs by plane under a cover load of metal toolboxes, according to investigation.

Judge's commendations were awarded to three NCA officers who worked on the case.

Dhir and Raijada denied exporting cocaine to Australia and money laundering. They were convicted of 12 counts of exportation and 18 counts of money laundering by a jury following a trial at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

They were sentenced at the same court on Tuesday.

The drugs exported by the two had been shipped via a commercial flight from the U.K. and consisted of six metal toolboxes which, when opened, were found to contain 514 kilograms of cocaine.