Drug smuggler handed 16-year sentence for attempting to sneak £2million worth of bright pink liquid cocaine into UK from Barbados
Cops nabbed the crook after drilling into metal canisters at Gatwick and replacing the previously unseen 'sophisticated' drug with sand
A DRUG smuggler has been jailed for 16 years for bringing £2million-worth of pink liquid cocaine into the UK.
Errol Watson, 54, was set to receive 26kg of the dyed drug in metal canisters labelled as oil filters from Barbados.
But suspicious Gatwick officials drilled inside to find bright pink liquid after an x-ray of the filters raised suspicions.
Acting quickly, investigators took the cylinders to a specialist laboratory where all the liquid was removed.
The canisters were refilled with sand, and the crate was bugged before being sent on its journey to Watson.
As expected, the crook called a contact in the Caribbean to complain, saying: "Somebody opened this thing and put something in it...this thing empty...I'm telling you..."
Officers were then able to swoop in and nab him.
Watson, of Wanstead, East London, was nabbed after ringing the Caribbean to complain.
The Old Bailey heard officials had not encountered the “sophisticated” liquid disguise before, despite records seized in raids proving Watson had been involved in previous shipments under different aliases.
He admitted conspiring to import cocaine, and was handed a jail sentence.
Meanwhile detectives from the Royal Barbados Police moved in on two addresses in on the Caribbean island, where they arrested Watson's brother and seized more of the pink cocaine.