Kevin Smith
Details can only now be revealed as the final member of the crime group was found guilty of drug importation charges on 3 April following a five-week trial.
Kevin Smith, 38, was detained by officers from the NCA’s Anti-Corruption Unit at work in Portsmouth on 26 August 2023, as part of a joint operation with the Metropolitan Police Service and Border Force.
Earlier that day Smith had allowed Caprice Thompson, 46, from Brixton to pass through his Border Force booth at Portsmouth port, having arrived on a ferry from France.
As she drove back towards London her rental car was stopped by Met officers who recovered 15 kilos of MDMA, with a street value of around £400,000 from the boot of the vehicle.
Two other members of the crime group were also arrested – ringleader David Johnson, 51, and Sinan Baki, 49, both from Clapham. Further drugs were recovered from their properties.
The arrests followed an investigation into the crime group by the Met, who brought in the NCA once it became clear a corrupt insider was in contact with Johnson.
The NCA put Smith under surveillance, and obtained CCTV evidence that the former prison officer engaged in a number of face to face meetings in Portsmouth with Johnson in the run-up to the smuggling attempt.
Smith and Johnson’s relationship had started whilst Smith was working as a prison officer in the prison where Johnson was serving a sentence for drugs importation.
Following Smith’s arrest NCA officers also recovered a mobile phone which he had used to exchange encrypted messages with Johnson.
Johnson pleaded guilty to importing class A drugs, and Smith admitted a charge of misconduct in a public office.
Thompson was found guilty by a jury of drug importation charges and Baki had previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A.
All four will be sentenced on Friday 7 June.
Dave Rock from the NCA’s Anti-Corruption Unit said:“Tackling insider threat and corruption at the border is a priority for the NCA and our partners because it threatens the security of the public.
“Kevin Smith sought to use his privileged access and knowledge of systems and processes to aid this crime group who were able to bring large amounts of class A into the UK unchecked.
“This operation demonstrated co-operation in action with the NCA Anti-Corruption Unit, MPS and Border Force officers working together to prevent these drugs reaching the criminal market.”
Detective Inspector Lydia Stephens of the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Command said: “These individuals were heavily involved in the large-scale supply of Class A drugs in London that severely impacts our communities, drives violence and can lead to children being criminally exploited across the city.
“Apprehending them successfully is the result of months of hard work and dedication on the part of a team of highly skilled Met detectives, supported by colleagues from the National Crime Agency and Border Force.
“We are committed to bringing organised crime groups to justice and making London safer.”
5 April 2024
000000
The NCA’s investigation formed part of Operation Venetic, the UK NCA-led law enforcement response to the takedown of the EncroChat service in July 2020.
AVISEUR INTERNATIONAL 