Gatwick Airport: Ronald Lord, 71, tried to smuggle $1.3 million worth of cocaine in mobility scooter

A man who attempted to smuggle more than $1.3 million worth of cocaine into the UK using his mobility scooter has been jailed.

Ronald Lord, 71, was travelling to the UK when National Crime Agency (NCA) officers stopped him at Gatwick Airport.

The Canadian told them he had been on a week-long holiday in Barbados and had come to the UK to sightsee.

When Border Force x-rayed his mobility scooter, they made a shocking discovery.

Packed behind a hollow in the back seat panel were eight kilos of concealed cocaine.

The haul, experts say, had a street value of more than $1.3 million.

Then came a series of fabrications from Lord, who told investigators that he had no idea how the drugs got inside his mobility scooter.

The story did not last long though, as when authorities searched him, they found a screw from the panel that hid the cocaine.

Lord also lied about how long he was in Barbados, having been there for only three days before landing in the UK.

Despite his initial story, Lord pleaded guilty to class A drug smuggling charges at a hearing on August 5 at Croydon Crown Court.

Last Friday, he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Richard Wickham, a senior investigating officer, highlighted the danger of smugglers like Lord, who work for organised crime groups.

“Organised crime groups need smugglers like Lord to bring class A drugs into the UK, where they are sold for huge profit by gangs who deal in violence and exploitation,” he said.

“He obviously thought that because he was a pensioner he would be less of a target for law enforcement. He was wrong, and I hope this case sends out a message to anyone who would consider doing the same.

“Working with partners like Border Force, the NCA is determined to do all we can to stop class A drugs finding their way into the hands of criminal gangs, and target those involved in helping them.”