Officers took two years to track him down

A drug smuggler who plotted to import �750,000 worth of cocaine into the UK has been jailed for 12 years.

Earl Henry, 32, of Chalkhill Road, Wembley, was snared after Andrew Jackson was caught with three kilos of the class A drug at Gatwick Airport after flying in from St Lucia in July 2009.

Investigating officers searched the 22-year-old’s home in Sussex and discovered documents linking him to Henry and incriminating phone records.

The officers also discovered the pair had met up at a burger bar before Jackson flew out to St Lucia.

He was arrested in March last year and officers seized evidence from his Wembley home and another address in Sussex including 14 mobile phones, two SIM cards and various documents showing strong ties to St Lucia.

Last week, both men were convicted of guilty of importing class A drugs

following a 10-week trial.

Jackson was sentenced to 10 years.

Tim Fleming, senior investigating officer from the UK Border Agency’s Criminal and Financial Investigation team at Gatwick, said: “The vigilance of our staff at Gatwick Airport in stopping Jackson helped blow apart this drug smuggling ring.

“It started a complex two-year investigation which led officers to uncover further evidence that showed Henry was implicated.”