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Camden New Journal - by PAUL KEILTHY
Published: 28 February 2008

‘French Connection’ sting uncovers make-up box cocaine

SMUGGLED drugs hidden in make-up boxes were used to lure alleged dealers into a police sting that highlighted Camden’s very own French Connection on Monday.
When a mystery man walked into the Parcelforce depot in Royal College Street to pick up a package containing 180 mascara tubes he inadvertently sprung a trap that had its origins in a tropical customs shed in French Guiana.
And waiting for him on the depot steps was a Kentish Town detective who had spent three weeks preparing the bait after a tip-off from French customs.
Drugs experts in the South American colony had secretly intercepted the parcel addressed to a house in Camden Street on January 27 and made a startling discovery.
Packed behind each mascara wand was 5 grams of high-quality cocaine – making a total shipment of nearly a kilo of the class A drug, worth more than £50,000 at street prices.
Detectives dressed as postmen had tried to deliver the precious package to the Camden Street address on February 4.
When they found no one at home they left a standard card informing the addressee that his package was being held in Royal College Street- and waited. The trap was sprung at lunchtime on Monday when their target walked in and demanded his parcel.
Camden Crime Squad Detective Sergeant Andy Thomas said: “These drugs were intended for the streets of London, and this seizure has kept a large quantity of cocaine out of Camden.”
The age and address of the arrested man are unknown.
He was charged yesterday (Wednesday) with importation of cocaine.

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