Man jailed over chocolate cocaine

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8077774.stm

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A County Down man caught trying to smuggle £31,000 of cocaine into Northern Ireland in a box of chocolates has been jailed for 18 months.

Thomas Liam Mooney, 20, of Lough Beg Park, Carryduff, was stopped at Belfast International Airport last year after arriving from Amsterdam.

Customs officers found 97 grams of cocaine concealed in 23 chocolates.

Mooney was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court, having entered a guilty plea at a previous hearing.

Mooney was sentenced to three years imprisonment, but was advised he will in fact serve 18 months and then spend a further two years on custodial probation.

Should he reoffend, or break any conditions of his probation, he will serve a second term of 18 months.

John Whiting, of HM Revenue & Customs, said: "This individual clearly thought his chocolate-covered drugs would see him evade detection and justice.

"HMRC works closely with the police and other law enforcement agencies such as the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to protect the public from drugs.

"In doing so we share our widespread knowledge of the modern smuggling trade and the evolving techniques employed by today's smugglers."