Criminals go bananas! Drugs gang flee in terror when detectives catch them on top of container removing £11m of cocaine smuggled into UK hidden in fruit shipment

• Court heard gang hid 139 kilograms of the drug in the roof of shipping container

This is the moment two members of a drugs gang which attempted to smuggle £11m of cocaine into the UK hidden in a shipment of bananas were caught red handed by National Crime Agency and police officers.

Robert Ball, 59, and Mirgent Shahu, 32, were part of a conspiracy which shipped the Class A drug in to the London Gateway Port from Equador. They have now been jailed for 18 years each.

A court heard the gang hid 139 kilograms of the drug in the roof of a shipping container containing the fruit, with logistics industry worker Ball locating a yard in Coventry where the consignment could then be moved to.

But the court heard the drugs were intercepted by police when the consignment reached the port near Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, in April 2022. The container was then resealed.

National Crime Agency investigators later arrested four men as they unloaded a shipping container they believed still contained the drugs.

In surveillance footage, Ibra and Kaviani can be seen using a crowbar to force open the roof of the shipping container

A court heard the gang hid 139 kilograms of the drug in the roof of a shipping container containing the fruit

But the court heard the drugs were intercepted by police when the consignment reached the port near Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, in April 2022. The container (pictured) was then resealed

To get to the drugs hoard the gang forced open the roof of the shipping container, revealing packages beneath(pictured)

The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of £3m and a street value of £11m, the court heard

The criminal pair used a forklift truck to lift them on top of the shipping containers as they balanced on a palate

Investigators then found footage on Ibra’s phone showing what appears to be a block of cocaine stamped with the Union Jack being broken open

Ball, from Altrincham, Cheshire, and Albanian national Shahu, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, were convicted by a jury at Warwick Crown Court in May.

Sentencing them at the court yesterday, Recorder Martin Butterworth said each played a ‘very significant role’ in the conspiracy, with married father-of-one Shahu liaising between an Albanian organised crime group and the UK end of the operation.

The judge said Shahu was also ‘entrusted to oversee the activities’ of two other defendants who were also arrested. Arman Kaviani, 37, an Iranian national living in Golders Green, North London, and fellow Albanian Florjan Ibra, 30, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to their roles in the drugs conspiracy and were previously jailed for 12 years and nine months and 13 years and six months respectively.

The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of £3m and a street value of £11m, the court heard.

The trial heard that a few days after the ship docked at London Gateway, Ball contacted the shipping line to ask them to release four containers, including the one he thought contained the drugs.

He then arranged for a transport company to collect and move the containers to a storage company in Coventry, where he was joined by Ibra, Shahu and Kaviani a few days later.

In surveillance footage, Ibra and Kaviani can be seen climbing on to the roof of the container with the aid of a forklift truck and using a crowbar to force open the roof.

They then stash parcels they think contain the cocaine into a Sports Direct holdall.

Albanian Florjan Ibra, 30, (pictured) of no fixed abode, can be seen in surveillance footage climbing on to the roof of the container with the aid of a forklift truck

Albanian national Mirgent Shahu, 32, (pictured) from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, liaised between an Albanian organised crime group and the UK end of the operation

Logistics industry worker Robert Ball (pictured) located a yard in Coventry where the consignment could be moved to

Arman Kaviani, 37, an Iranian national living in Golders Green, North London, attempted to flee but was apprehended by NCA and police officers

National Crime Agency investigators arrested four men as they unloaded a shipping container they believed still contained the drugs

The trial heard that a few days after the ship docked at London Gateway, Ball contacted the shipping line to ask them to release four containers, including the one he thought contained the drugs (pictured)

But as they did so NCA and police officers moved in to arrest them. Kaviani and Ibra attempted to flee but were apprehended.

Investigators then found footage on Ibra’s phone showing what appears to be a block of cocaine stamped with the Union Jack being broken open. 

All four men were later charged with cocaine importation offences.

Richard Butcher, defending Ball, said his client was ‘being directed by others’ and was ‘not in a leading role’ in the gang.

Sebastian Gardener, defending Shahu, said his client had no previous criminal record either in the UK or in Albania.

Mr Gardener said that after moving to the UK eight years ago he initially worked for ‘cash in hand’ before ‘falling in with the wrong crowd’.

NCA Operations Manager David Phillips said after the hearing: ‘Ball and Shahu oversaw the nuts and bolts of this conspiracy on behalf of the organised crime group behind it.

‘This group enlisted the assistance of Ibra and Kaviani, who they hoped would retrieve the drugs and make their efforts worthwhile.

Ball (pictured in surveillance shot) was the one who contacted the shipping line to ask them to release four containers, including the one he thought contained the drugs

Sebastian Gardener, defending Shahu (pictured in surveillance shot), said his client had no previous criminal record either in the UK or in Albania

In surveillance footage, Ibra (pictured in surveillance shot) and Kaviani can be seen stashing parcels they think contain the cocaine into a Sports Direct holdall

All four men were later charged with cocaine importation offences after they were caught by NCA and police officers

‘Unfortunately for these men, NCA officers were watching their every move before moving in to arrest them.

‘Cocaine fuels violence and exploitation, including gang culture and firearm and knife crime in the UK and around the world.

‘Removing this consignment from circulation will have been a sizeable blow to this criminal network, preventing them from generating profits that would have been invested in further criminality. We are determined to dismantle major international crime groups like this one from top to bottom.’

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said: ‘This is the latest example of Border Force officers seizing millions of pounds worth of cocaine and dismantling an abhorrent criminal gang.

‘This case demonstrates how Border Force use cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of organised crime groups to keep our borders secure and protect our communities from illegal and dangerous substances.’

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