Man caught out by fake ketamine delivery jailed

A man has been jailed for his role in the importation of up to £3.75m worth of ketamine.

Joel Freeman was arrested at a storage unit in Wakefield on 11 August when he was caught by police unpacking what he believed was a drugs delivery, Leeds Crown Court heard.

However, the drugs had been intercepted by officers when they arrived at Birmingham Airport from the Netherlands five days previously, and were replaced with a "dummy crate".

Freeman, 41, from Leeds, had initially denied knowing the delivery contained drugs before changing his plea. He was given a six-year sentence and could be forced to repay any ill-gotten gains.

Evidence collected by police showed the defendant had been in contact with two others, including a phone number linked to the United States, about the shipment's delivery and storage.

Freeman was the only member of the group to be caught and charged with conspiracy to evade prohibition on the importation of a controlled drug.

Prosecutor Paul Mitchell told the court the group had stolen another man's identity to purchase a lock-up at the storage unit where the drugs would have been held.

The victim had lost his passport on a night out in Leeds in February, which had then been submitted as a form of identity to open the unit along with a suspected fake bank statement in his name.

Judge Kate Rayfield said the offending had been "sophisticated".

A total of 125kg (275lb) worth of the Class B drug was found inside five boxes in the crate, Mitchell said.

He explained how the drugs had a wholesale value in the UK of up to £375,000 but could fetch up to 10 times that amount if sold on the street.

"This is a valuable lot," he said.

Freeman, who has previously been jailed for supplying Class A drugs, possessing cannabis with an intent to supply and possessing a handgun with ammunition, was found in possession of the phone used to contact others about the delivery.

In mitigation, Katharine Robinson said her client was expecting to be paid between £2,000 and £3,000 to receive the drugs and place them in a lock-up unit.

Freeman, who had been working on the railways, had been under financial pressure, she told the court.

Robinson said the defendant had viewed the opportunity as "easy money", but now recognised it as "incredibly poor decision making".

She claimed his role in the operation had been "not sophisticated at all", but Judge Rayfield said: "Arguably there couldn't be a more important role in the importation of drugs than to ensure its delivery and safe storage."

Freeman, who appeared in court via videolink from HMP Leeds, will face a proceeds of crime hearing next year.

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