A WOMAN who tried to smuggle 2.5 kg of cocaine disguised as bars of Galaxy chocolate into the Island has been jailed for five years.
A WOMAN who tried to smuggle 2.5 kg of cocaine disguised as bars of Galaxy chocolate into the Island has been jailed for five years.
Diana Bowmen had boarded the ferry from Portsmouth on 26 June with 11 large bars of chocolate – but seven of the packages actually contained cocaine carefully cut to mirror the shape of the bar.
The 26-year-old from London posed as a holidaymaker with a room booked at the Royal Yacht hotel and plans to visit a museum and the beaches.
Crown Advocate Lauren Hallam, prosecuting, said the cocaine – weighing 2.459 kg – had an average purity of 71% and would have been worth between £368,870 and £614,750 if it had been sold on the street in one-gram deals.
The Royal Court’s Superior Number, which only convenes for the most serious cases, heard that Bowmen was doing what she was told by a phone contact called “M”, who also provided a cover story with messages about hotels and a mention of Jersey Heritage, which matched Bowmen’s answers when she was questioned when entering the Island.
Advocate Julia-Anne Dix, defending, said Bowmen was particularly vulnerable due to learning disability, a physical disability, and mental health issues. Bowmen has suffered from fibromyalgia since a car accident and uses a walking aide.
She was described in the Royal Court yesterday as a “vulnerable” drugs mule with a low IQ who had been taken advantage of by people she thought were her friends.
A psychological report found Bowmen was particularly susceptible to authority and would have found it hard to understand when a situation was suspicious.
For example, she was told to buy ten bars of chocolate, throw them out and keep the receipt – but she didn’t understand the instruction and kept some of the chocolates, the advocate said.
Bowmen had “never had any contact with the criminal justice system”, she added, and several references spoke to her good character.
Handing down the sentence, the Bailiff, Robert MacRae, highlighted a reference from a retired police officer who said Bowmen was nothing like the criminals he had dealt with throughout his career.
Paul Le Monnier, senior manager at Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, said: “This was an ingenious method to disguise a significant amount of cocaine and not one that we have seen before. It also clearly shows a level of sophistication of those organising this importation but fortunately, the vigilance of our officers prevented these drugs from reaching our streets.”
The Bailiff, Robert MacRae, was presiding, with Jurats Joanne Averty, Karen Le Cornu, Michael Entwistle, Jerry Ramsden and Collette Crill sitting.
