Criminal Involved in £20m Drug Smuggling at Dover Arrested in Ibiza
Eddie Burton, linked to a £20m drug smuggling case, was arrested in Ibiza. His ex-partner, Sian Banks, also faces charges for her role.
Eddie Burton, Sian Banks, Ibiza, Dover, UK, Drugs, Heroin, Cocaine, Ketamine
Ibiza: A man was arrested at Pacha nightclub. Eddie Burton, 23, was convicted of drug smuggling. He worked with his ex-partner, Sian Banks, 25.
Burton was living in Europe when two lorries were stopped at Dover. They carried heroin, cocaine, and ketamine worth £20 million. The drugs weighed 307 kilos.
Border Force officers intercepted the first lorry on July 3. They found 90 kilos of ketamine and 50 kilos of cocaine hidden in boxes. The second lorry was stopped on August 12.
Inside the second lorry, officers found 142 kilos of cocaine and 25 kilos of heroin. The drugs were hidden in a modified fuel tank. The driver, Maris Fridvalds, got 14 years in prison.
Burton’s fingerprints were found on the drugs. The National Crime Agency (NCA) started a manhunt for him. He had moved to the Netherlands and Spain in 2021.
In August 2023, Spanish police arrested him at Pacha nightclub for other drug offenses. He was using a fake name to avoid capture. He was extradited to Germany and then returned to the UK in March 2024.
Burton pleaded guilty to four counts of importing drugs. Sian Banks also pleaded guilty to seven charges, including money laundering.
Banks was arrested in December 2023. Investigators found she traveled to Europe monthly to see Burton. She smuggled drugs into the UK in her luggage.
Messages between them showed she helped prepare drug shipments. She also sold fake Covid-19 travel documents during the pandemic. They will be sentenced on February 11.
NCA Branch Commander John Turner said Burton and Banks tried to smuggle harmful drugs into the UK. Their actions could have harmed communities and exploited vulnerable people.