Forest Hill Photographer and Cheshunt Pilot Caught Smuggling £2.4m Cocaine Haul
A photographer from Forest Hill and a pilot from Cheshunt have been busted trying to smuggle a massive 30kg of cocaine into the UK by light aircraft. The drugs, worth millions, were found hidden in the plane’s rear seats at North Weald Airfield in Epping.
High-Flying Drug Smugglers Nabbed at North Weald
Errol McCardo Weir, 48, and Anastasios Balian, 52, were caught red-handed after flying in from Belgium via Calais. Border Force officers stopped their aircraft and discovered £2.4 million worth of cocaine blocks cleverly concealed inside specially adapted compartments in the back seats.
The duo coordinated the smuggling attempt through WhatsApp. Remarkably, among their messages was a news link titled ‘Gang use small aircraft to drop cocaine into Dorset’, which foreshadowed their own downfall.
Pilot Abused Trust; Organised Crime Network Uncovered
Balian, a licensed pilot and owner of an aerial survey company, exploited his aviation skills to aid the drug racket. The National Crime Agency (NCA) described the pair’s crimes as part of a larger organised crime web.
Photos released by the NCA show the coke packaged in compressed, heat-sealed blocks – a classic tactic of serious trafficking gangs.
Authorities Slam Cocky Attempt as ‘Audacious’
“Anastasios Balian used his expertise and apparent legitimacy to enable this attempted importation of Class A drugs. These substances destroy communities,” Paul Orchard, Border Force manager, said.
“This was an audacious operation,” added Penina Giffen from the Crown Prosecution Service. “The digital evidence and physical proof left them no choice but to plead guilty. The joint efforts of Border Force, the NCA, and CPS were crucial in stopping this plot.”
Why This Bust Hits Organised Crime Hard
This case exposes how crime gangs exploit aviation loopholes to flood the UK with illegal drugs. The quick work of Border Force and NCA stopped this multi-million-pound shipment, protecting communities from the deadly impact of Class A substances.
Got info on drug smuggling or suspicious aircraft? Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or visit the National Crime Agency website.
