Liverpool Couple Admits Guilt in £20 Million Drug Smuggling Case
Eddie Burton and Sian Banks pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs worth £20 million through the Port of Dover, facing serious charges.
Liverpool, UK, Drugs, Smuggling, Heroin, Cocaine, Ketamine
Liverpool: A couple has been caught trying to smuggle drugs into the UK. Eddie Burton and Sian Banks were caught with £20 million worth of heroin, ketamine, and cocaine.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) stopped them at the Port of Dover. They intercepted two lorries carrying a total of 307 kilos of drugs in the summer of 2022.
Burton, 23, was arrested in Ibiza. He had been living in Europe when the drugs were found. The first lorry was stopped on July 3, with 90 kilos of ketamine and 50 kilos of cocaine.
Just six weeks later, the second lorry was caught. It had 142 kilos of cocaine and 25 kilos of heroin hidden in a modified fuel tank.
Sian Banks pleaded guilty to seven charges, including importing Class A drugs. The driver of the lorry, Maris Fridvalds, got 14 years in prison for his role.
Burton was arrested in Ibiza in August 2023 for unrelated drug offenses. He was using an alias to avoid getting caught. After being extradited to Germany, he returned to the UK in March 2024.
Burton pleaded guilty to four counts of importing drugs. Banks was arrested in December 2023 and also pleaded guilty in February 2024.
Investigators found that Banks traveled to the Netherlands and Spain monthly to see Burton. She even smuggled drugs in her luggage after visiting him.
Messages between the couple showed they planned the drug shipments together. Banks also sold fake Covid-19 travel documents during the pandemic.
Both will be sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on February 11. The NCA warned that their actions could have harmed many communities.