Man jailed for attempting to import 29,000 skull-shaped ecstasy tablets into UK via Snapchat deal

A antheral who attempted to import astir 30,000 skull-shaped ecstasy tablets into the UK successful a woody arranged implicit Snapchat has been jailed for 4 years.

Marshall Scurfield, 22, was snared by the National Crime Agency (NCA) aft Border Force officers intercepted the parcel astatine Birmingham Airport.

The NCA said the bundle - sent from the Netherlands - contained 29,000 greenish tablets which aboriginal tested affirmative for MDMA and had an estimated thoroughfare worth of £140,000.

A dummy parcel was sent to Scurfield's past code successful Hebburn, South Tyneside, with constabulary moving successful erstwhile helium was observed accepting the goods.

Scurfield, who was arrested connected 25 February 2022, claimed helium had agreed to judge the parcel to settee a drugs indebtedness and arrangements for its transportation had been made utilizing Snapchat.

He was charged with importing people A drugs and admitted the offence astatine Newcastle Crown Court successful July.

Scurfield, of Airdrie successful North Lanarkshire, was jailed connected Tuesday.

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NCA subdivision commandant Martin Clarke said: "Marshall Scurfield attempted to import unsafe people A drugs into the UK and thought that by utilizing the postal strategy helium would flight attraction from instrumentality enforcement.

"Working with our colleagues astatine Border Force, we were capable to forestall a sizeable quantity of ecstasy from making it to our streets, wherever it would person created exploitation and violence.

"We proceed to prosecute and dismantle precocious harm organised transgression networks down smuggling attempts similar these."