Revenue & Customs Officers at Bristol International Airport have seized six kilos of cocaine with an estimated street value of £400,000. As a result of the find, which was made on Sunday 18 June, a man and a woman from Bristol have appeared at the city’s Magistrates Court today (Tuesday).

Jim Caldwell, Senior Investigation Officer for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said: “This seizure is a significant step forward in fighting the war on drugs and sends a clear message that regional airports such as Bristol are not a soft touch. Our intelligence and detection skills are second to none, and the only effective way to tackle 21st century smuggling.”

Customs Officers discovered the cocaine in baggage after passengers had disembarked from a Continental Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, USA. A man and woman, who had started their journey in Panama, were arrested after the discovery. They were subsequently interviewed and charged with smuggling cocaine into the UK.

Karla Jane Brown, (32) and Jason Douglas Richard Salmon, (35), both unemployed and residing at 12, The Coots, Bristol were remanded in custody by magistrates and will reappear before the court next Wednesday, 28 June. An application for bail made on behalf of Brown was refused; no application was made by Salmon.
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