Operating akin to Ozark and Breaking Bad, Indian couple receives 33-year jail sentence for cocaine smuggling.

The London-based Indian-origin couple, Arti Dhir (59) and Kaval Raijada (35), has been sentenced to a 33-year jail term for smuggling 514 kg of cocaine worth Rs 600 crore from London to Sydney. The couple, previously accused of ordering the murder of an adopted orphan in Gujarat, tried to shift blame onto two individuals during their trial.

The Southwark Crown Court proceedings revealed the couple's involvement in using accomplices, reminiscent of crime shows like Ozark and Breaking Bad. The National Crime Agency (NCA) built a strong case against Dhir and Raijada, who attempted to implicate Pankaj Patel and Tatiana Pavalachi as possible masterminds. Patel and Pavalachi were directors in Viefly Freight Services, the company used for smuggling.

Viefly Freight Services Ltd, initially EU Wines Auctions Ltd and then Megatron Freight Services Ltd, changed its name to Viefly Freight Services in October 2019. The couple, along with Patel and Pavalachi, served as directors at different times. Patel was the sole director when the couple was arrested. Attempts were made to question Patel's role, but the NCA had evidence indicating he had left the UK for India in April 2015.

Tatiana Pavalachi, a Romanian national, became the sole director when 35 cocaine shipments were sent to Sydney. The court dismissed any involvement by Patel and Pavalachi in the drug smuggling scheme. The couple's knowledge of airport freight procedures, gained from their employment at Heathrow, facilitated their criminal activities.

Australian authorities intercepted a consignment in May 2021, leading to the arrest of Dhir and Raijada in June 2021. Of the 37 consignments sent to Australia, 22 were dummy runs, and 15 contained cocaine. Only one consignment, with 514 kg of cocaine worth Rs 600 crore, was seized. The couple's elaborate smuggling route aimed to exploit the price difference between cocaine in London and Sydney.

The recovered drugs were concealed in toolboxes labeled as lift and tail parts, accompanied by a fake invoice. The couple's fingerprints and receipts tied them to the crime. Cash and gold bars hidden in their home and storage units, luxury assets, and multiple bank accounts revealed the extent of their ill-gotten wealth.

Despite denying charges, the couple was convicted of 12 counts of drug smuggling and 18 counts of money laundering on January 29. On January 30, they were sentenced to 33 years in jail, and efforts began to strip them of their assets. The jury was unaware of the couple's serious allegations related to the murder of an adopted orphan in Gujarat.