Men used Christian groups as a front to smuggle £2,000,000 of cannabis into the UK

The men transported the drug in cans of fruit and vegetables (Pictures: National Crime Agency / SWNS)

Three men used a Christian organisation as cover to import some 400kg of cannabis into the UK from Jamaica.

Dalton Anderson, 51, Alvin Russell, 46, and Sinclair Tucker, 65, trafficked the drug via Birmingham Airport between March and May 2017.

But Border Force discovered marijuana had been packed into sealed tins of calaloo, a vegetable popular in the Caribbean, and ackee fruit.

All three batches were addressed to Vision Christian Ministries (VCM), the National Crime Agency (NCA) said in a statement yesterday.

The haul had a street value of about £2,000,000, the agency added.

But their plot was foiled after Border Force intercepted a shipment on May 23 2017 that the group intended to pick up from the airport.

NCA officers arrested them at the airport.

Dalton Anderson helped import some 400 kilos of cannabis into the UK (Picture: National Crime Agency / SWNS)

Sinclair Tucker used Birmingham-based Vision Christian Ministries (VCM) to conceal the smuggling (Picture: National Crime Agency / SWNS)

Alvin Russell was arrested while inspecting the third consignment that arrived at a Birmingham airport (Picture: National Crime Agency / SWNS)

‘This crime group cynically used a religious organisation to conceal their multi million-pound drugs conspiracy,’ said NCA operations manager Rick Mackenzie.

Paul Harper, from Border Force Central Region, added: ‘This seizure and others demonstrates the despicable lengths criminals will go to, exploiting a religion to line their own pockets, which will only cause harm to our communities.’

Investigators found that Anderson and Russell jetted to Jamaica to organise the imports, handle the cash and provide shipment documentation to VCM via Tucker.

Anderson, Russell and Tucker were all found guilty of fraudulently evading the prohibition on the importation of a controlled drug in November last year.

Anderson was also found guilty of possession with intent to supply cannabis after five kilos were found at his home.

All three men were sentenced at Derby Crown Court on Monday.

Anderson will spend nine years behind bars, a judge ruled, while Russell was sentenced to five years and Tucker to two years suspended.

‘The illegal drugs trade fuels violence and exploitation in the UK while generating huge profits for the serious criminals behind it,’ added Mackenzie.

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They shipped the drugs in tins of fruit and vegetables.