National Crime Agency exposes Heathrow insider who helped traffickers in failed Colombia drugs run
A corrupt Heathrow Airport security manager who conspired with an organised crime group to smuggle £2 million worth of cocaine into the UK has been jailed for 16-and-a-half years following a major National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.
Junaed Dar, 47, of Randolph Road, Slough, abused his position to assist two drug couriers smuggling 22kg of Class A drugs from Bogotá, Colombia, on 14 December 2019. Arriving at Heathrow three hours before his shift in uniform, he used an airport vehicle to collect the pair from Terminal 2B.
Dar escorted Michael Williams, 39, and Jessica Waldron, 38, both from Dudley, to a toilet area, took their bags loaded with what they believed was cocaine, and attempted to leave the airport — unaware the Colombian authorities, in partnership with the NCA, had already intercepted the real drugs and replaced them with wooden blocks.
NCA officers arrested Dar moments before he could leave the terminal.
Williams and Waldron were arrested at the airport and jailed in 2022 for six years and eight months each after pleading guilty to attempting to import Class A drugs.
Two further members of the criminal group — Ruford Davis, 55, of Pitfield Road, Dudley, and David Farquharson, 53, of Waterside Avenue, Wednesbury — were today sentenced to 14-and-a-half years each at Kingston Crown Court for their roles in organising the trip and instructing the couriers via encrypted messaging devices.
All three — Dar, Davis and Farquharson — were convicted by a jury of attempting to smuggle Class A drugs into the UK.
NCA Branch Commander Mark McCormack said:
“This was a cynical operation exploiting insider access at one of the UK’s busiest airports.
Dar’s actions demonstrate the threat corrupt insiders pose to border security. Thanks to close cooperation with our international partners, this smuggling attempt was stopped before the drugs ever reached British streets.”
The NCA continues to target those who abuse positions of trust to support organised crime.