Cocaine Smuggled In Paintings

Cocaine worth £10,000 has been found in paintings by UK Border Agency officers at Stansted Airport.

The 200gms of the Class A drug had been hidden in five abstract oil paintings that had been flown from Colombia.

Sarah Wolstenholme, UK Border Agency Assistant Director at Stansted Airport, said:

“It was the smell that initially alerted officers to the possibility that the paintings were more than they seemed.

“Further examination revealed that the smugglers had covered the canvases with a layer of cocaine and then literally painted over the drugs.”

The paintings – each 25cm by 30cm – were destined for an address in south west London and were listed as shirts and paints, with a value of $1.

Investigations into the shipment are continuing.