Indian-Origin Couple Sentenced to 33 Years for Cocaine Exportation to Australia

An Indian-origin couple in the UK, Arti Dhir and Kavaljitsinh Raijada, have been sentenced to 33 years in prison each for exporting over half a tonne of cocaine to Australia. The couple was convicted of 12 counts of exportation and 18 counts of money laundering by a jury following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

An Indian-origin couple in the United Kingdom, Arti Dhir (59) and Kavaljitsinh Raijada (35), have been sentenced to 33 years in prison each for exporting over half a tonne of cocaine to Australia. The National Crime Agency (NCA) identified the couple after Australian Border Force intercepted the cocaine shipment worth 57 million pounds upon its arrival in Sydney in May 2021.

Cocaine Smuggling via Front Company

Dhir and Raijada operated a front company called Viefly Freight Services solely for drug smuggling purposes. The drugs were shipped via a commercial flight from the UK in six metal toolboxes, containing a total of 514 kilograms of cocaine. The drugs would have been worth up to 57 million pounds in Australia, where prices are significantly higher than in the UK.

Evidence and Investigation

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 investigation revealed that there had been 37 consignments sent to Australia since June 2019, of which 22 were dummy runs and 15 contained cocaine.

Arrests and Financial Investigations

Dhir and Raijada were arrested at their home in Hanwell in June 2021, and officers seized gold-plated silver bars worth 5000 pounds, 13,000 pounds inside the home, and found 60,000 pounds in cash in a safety deposit box. Further investigations led to the discovery of almost 3 million pounds in cash hidden in boxes and suitcases at a storage unit rented by Raijada in his mother's name.

Financial inquiries revealed that the couple had 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. They had deposited almost 740,000 pounds in cash into 22 different bank accounts since 2019, leading to additional money laundering charges.

Proceeds of Crime Proceedings

The NCA will now initiate Proceeds of Crime proceedings against both defendants to seize their assets.

Murder Allegations in India

The couple also faces murder allegations in India related to the death of their 11-year-old adopted son, Gopal Sejani, and his brother-in-law, Harsukhbhai Kardani, in February 2017. However, their extradition request by India was denied by UK courts on human rights grounds.

The NCA's Senior Investigating Officer, Piers Phillips, emphasized that Dhir and Raijada exploited their knowledge of the air freight industry to traffic cocaine for financial gain. The NCA, in collaboration with Australian and UK Border Force, dismantled the supply chain created by the couple and brought them to justice. The agency remains committed to targeting class A drug supply and the criminals involved, both in the UK and overseas.