The National Crime Agency (NCA) identified Dhir and Raijada after the Australian Border Force intercepted the cocaine upon its arrival in Sydney in May 2021. The drugs were shipped via a commercial flight from the UK and were concealed within six metal toolboxes.

London: An Indian-origin couple, Arti Dhir and Kavaljitsinh Raijada, have been sentenced to 33 years in prison each for their involvement in exporting over half a tonne of cocaine to Australia. The couple, who were also sought by India for the murder of their adopted son in Gujarat, were convicted of 12 counts of exportation and 18 counts for money laundering. The modus operandi of the couple was likened to popular crime dramas ‘Ozark’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ during the trial at the Southwark Crown Court. Prosecutor Hugh French described them as a ‘ruthless and greedy’ pair, operating in the world of international organised crime, according to a report in IANS.

“It’s like something out of Breaking Bad or Ozark,” French said, describing the “ruthless and greedy” pair as “very different from the average married couple”. “It was not the 25-year age gap that was different — it was the fact that they operated in the world of international organised crime,” he was quoted as saying by Sky News.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators identified Dhir and Raijada after the Australian Border Force intercepted the cocaine upon its arrival in Sydney in May 2021. The drugs were shipped via a commercial flight from the UK and were concealed within six metal toolboxes. When opened, the toolboxes were found to contain 514 kilos of cocaine.

Dhir and Raijada had set up a front company called Viefly Freight Services for the sole purpose of smuggling drugs. Both defendants had been directors of the company since its incorporation in June 2015. Raijada’s fingerprints were found on the plastic wrappings of the metal toolboxes, and receipts for the order of the toolboxes were discovered at the couple’s home.

The NCA revealed that there had been 37 consignments sent to Australia since June 2019, out of which 22 were dummy runs and 15 contained cocaine. Reportedly, the couple’s knowledge of airport freight procedures, gained from their previous employment at a flight services company at Heathrow, helped them cover their criminal activities.

“Arti Dhir and Kavaljitsinh Raijada used their insider knowledge of the air freight industry to traffic cocaine worth tens of millions of pounds from the UK to Australia, where they knew they could maximise their revenue,” Piers Phillips, NCA Senior Investigating Officer, said.

“They kept their illicit profits in cash at their home and in storage units, as well as purchasing property, gold and silver in an attempt to hide their wealth. These defendants may have thought they were removed from the misery caused by the drugs trade but their greed was fuelling it,” Phillips added.

Dhir and Raijada were arrested at their home in Hanwell on June 21, 2021.

A search of their premises led to 5000 pounds worth of gold-plated silver bars, 13,000 pounds inside the home and 60,000 pounds in cash in a safety deposit box.

Financial inquiries found they had also purchased a flat in Ealing for 800,000 pounds and a Land Rover for 62,000 pounds, despite declaring profits of only a few thousand pounds to HMRC (His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs).

They had deposited almost 740,000 pounds in cash into 22 different bank accounts since 2019 and were further charged with money laundering.

India had sought the couple’s extradition in 2017 for the alleged murder of their 11-year-old adopted son, Gopal Sejani, in Gujarat. However, the request was turned down by Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London in July 2019 on human rights grounds, according to media reports.

Reportedly, the couple had adopted Gopal, before staging his kidnapping and murder in India to split the life insurance payout of Rs 1.3 crore.