Dagenham smuggler jailed after turning himself in to hospital
A DAGENHAM drug mule who swallowed �80,000 of cocaine to smuggle it to the UK was caught after he went to Queen’s Hospital fearing his illegal cargo had leaked.
Daniel Maduabuchi, 48, of Rivington Court, St Mark’s Place, collapsed in agony the day after he touched down in London, as the drugs passed through his body.
He took himself to Queen’s Hospital in Romford, where he began excreting 121 compressed drug pellets, weighing more than two kilos, and staff called police. Maduabuchi, however, had turned himself in for no reason as none of the drug leaked into his bloodstream.
The day before the trafficker fell ill he ingested the packages one by one and boarded a flight to London City Airport from the Dutch capital Amsterdam.
He was making the trip at the behest of fellow members of the Nigerian criminal underworld, Inner London Crown Court heard on Friday.
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Ish Sheikh, prosecuting, said: “By the time police officers arrived, four packages had been passed by him. The defendant remained in hospital for about a week and eventually passed a total of 121 packages over six days.
“They were immediately taken for analysis.”
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In total, the substance weighed 2.01kg and contained 1.43kg of cocaine at 100 per cent purity.
Maduabuchi, pictured, admitted importing cocaine.
Simon Gittins, defending, said Maduabuchi was “desperate” after being forced at gunpoint to carry the drugs to pay back a supposed seven-year debt.
He had been asked to carry a large amount of cash for a gang which was confiscated by customs officials and the men believed he owed them, claimed the barrister.
Jailing him for six years, Judge Patricia Lees said: ‘This is an extremely serious offence and it is the duty of the court to pass deterrent sentences.
