Arti Dhir, 59, and her husband Kaval Raijada, 35, residents of Hanwell, Ealing, have been sentenced to 33 years each for orchestrating the largest-ever cocaine smuggling operation to Australia, worth £700 million between 2019 and 2021.

Escaping extradition for alleged murders in India, the couple employed a Breaking Bad-style carwash to launder money. The National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered their illicit activities after Australian authorities detected the drugs. The couple, convicted on January 29 of 12 counts of exportation and 18 counts of money laundering, had managed to avoid Indian extradition over murder charges for more than four years.

In a shocking revelation, it was disclosed during the trial that Dhir had previously worked for a flight services company at Heathrow Airport from 2003 to 2016, while Raijada worked for the same company from 2014 to 2016. The NCA believes their knowledge of air freight was exploited in carrying out their criminal operations.

The NCA investigation exposed a front company operated by the couple, utilising commercial planes to transport Class A drugs worldwide, hidden ingeniously in metal toolboxes. A staggering 514kg (0.6 tonnes) of cocaine, valued at approximately £57 million in the Australian market, was seized when authorities intercepted the shipment.

Despite vehement denials, the couple was found guilty by a jury of exporting cocaine to Australia and engaging in money laundering. Their sentencing comes after Australian authorities alerted the NCA, leading to the discovery of significant amounts of "cash and bullion" in their west London residence.

The couple's criminal enterprise extended beyond drug smuggling. Investigations unveiled the couple's escape from Indian extradition over charges of murdering their adopted son and his brother-in-law in Gujarat. The charges implicated them in arranging the killing of 11-year-old Gopal Sejani in February 2017 for a £150,000 insurance payout.

Arrested in June 2021 at their Hanwell residence following the NCA's tip-off, police found gold-plated silver bars worth £5000, £13,000 in the home, and £60,000 in cash in a safety deposit box. Subsequent investigations led to another arrest in February 2023, uncovering almost £3 million in cash hidden in boxes and suitcases at a storage unit in Hanwell.

The NCA's meticulous inquiry also exposed the couple's lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of an £800,000 flat in Ealing and a £62,000 Land Rover, starkly contrasting their declared profits to HMRC. The investigation revealed cash deposits exceeding £740,000 in 22 different bank accounts since 2019, leading to additional charges of money laundering.

Despite Raijada's claims of innocence in cocaine trafficking allegations, citing financial support from his wealthy father in India, the USB stick containing an invoice for aluminium shipment boxes identical to those used in drug transport raised suspicions during the trial. Raijada failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the discrepancy, leaving many unanswered questions surrounding the couple's criminal activities.

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