Gran of jailed baby-faced drug dealer 'couldn't wait for tearaway teen to leave' in fraught visit

Eddie Burton, 23, has pleaded blameworthy to 7 charges, including importing Class A drugs and wealth laundering, aft constabulary caught up with his £20million cause empire

The grandma of a baby-faced trader locked up for commanding a immense £20million drug empire has spoken of her “stranger” relation.

Eddie Burton, 23, and his ex-partner Sian Banks, cause proscription strategy was discovered erstwhile 2 lorries, containing heroin, cocaine and ketamine, were intercepted successful Dover successful 2022. When a 2nd conveyance was intercepted six weeks aboriginal Burton’s fingerprints were recovered connected the shipments and substance vessel and a manhunt was launched.

Spanish Police yet arresting him successful August 2023 astatine Pacha nightclub. This week Burton pleaded blameworthy to 4 counts of importing Class A and B drugs. Banks, 25, pleaded blameworthy to 7 charges, including importing Class A drugs and wealth laundering aft archetypal being arrested successful December 2023, Liverpool Echo reported.

Burton’s grandma Margaret Burton told MailOnline of her tearaway relation: “'He was a spot of a young tearaway. He started selling a fewer drugs erstwhile helium was astir 10 for older cause dealers.

'Eddie was a runner for them. He was a existent baby-face truthful it was perfect for them arsenic helium conscionable didn't look aged capable to beryllium into drugsI deliberation helium was selling drugs. So it's not that astonishing what's happened to him.

“I don't truly cognize him present though. The past clip I saw him was erstwhile helium came to my location erstwhile helium was 18, It was similar a alien coming to my location with 2 of his mates. I couldn't hold for him to spell really.”

The National Crime Agency recovered messages sent betwixt Banks and Burton connected July 5, 2022 - 2 days aft the archetypal lorry carrying drugs was intercepted. The messages suggested she had flown to the Netherlands successful precocious June and prepared the archetypal shipment of drugs to transport with Burton. One showed Banks was disquieted astir her fingerprints being connected the bags of ketamine. Burton replied to this saying: “You’ve ne'er been nicked oregon had ye prints took anyhow truthful doesn’t matter.”

Banks was besides recovered to beryllium selling scam Covid-19 question documents astatine the tallness of the pandemic. The brace volition beryllium sentenced astatine Canterbury Crown Court connected February 11.

NCA Branch Commander John Turner said: "Burton, with Banks' help, attempted to smuggle immense quantities of harmful drugs into the UK, believing helium could run with impunity overseas. Banks held a important relation successful the transgression enterprise, laundering the illicit profits and acting arsenic the UK-based facilitator for the multi-million lb cause importations.

"The drugs, had they reached their last destination, would person had a destructive interaction connected our communities, fuelling unit and exploiting susceptible radical passim the proviso chain."