Corrupt Border Force officer convicted for assisting organised crime group

Aged 38, Smith was detained by officers from the NCA’s Anti-Corruption Unit while at work in Portsmouth on 26 August last year as part of a joint operation with the Metropolitan Police Service and Border Force.

Earlier that day, Smith had allowed Caprice Thompson, aged 46, from Brixton to pass through his Border Force booth at Portsmouth port having arrived on a ferry from France. As Thompson drove back towards London, her rental car was stopped by Metropolitan Police Service officers who recovered 15 kilos of MDMA (with a street value of circa £400,000) from the boot of the vehicle.

Two other members of the crime group were also arrested: ringleader David Johnson, 51, and Sinan Baki, aged 49, both from Clapham. Further drugs were recovered from their properties.

The arrests followed on from an investigation into the crime group conducted by the Metropolitan Police Service, who brought in the NCA once it became clear a corrupt insider was in contact with Johnson.

The NCA placed Smith under covert surveillance and obtained surveillance evidence that the former prison officer engaged in a number of face-to-face meetings in Portsmouth with Johnson in the run-up to the smuggling attempt.

Smith and Johnson’s relationship had started while Smith was working as a prison officer in the prison where Johnson was then serving a sentence for drugs importation.

Encrypted messages

Following Smith’s arrest, NCA officers also recovered a mobile phone which he had used to exchange encrypted messages with Johnson.

Johnson pleaded guilty to importing Class A drugs, while Smith admitted a charge of misconduct in a public office.

Thompson was found guilty by a jury of drug importation charges and Baki had previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A.

All four individuals will be sentenced on 7 June.

Dave Rock from the NCA’s Anti-Corruption Unit said: “Tackling the insider threat and corruption at the border is a priority for the NCA and our partners because it threatens the security of the public. Kevin Smith sought to use his privileged access and knowledge of systems and processes to aid this crime group, the members of which were able to bring large amounts of Class A into the UK unchecked.”   

Rock added: “This operation demonstrated co-operation in action with the NCA Anti-Corruption Unit, the Metropolitan Police Service and Border Force officers working together to prevent these drugs from reaching the criminal market.”

Driving violence

DI Lydia Stephens of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Specialist Crime Command explained: “These individuals were heavily involved in the large-scale supply of Class A drugs in London that severely impacts our communities, drives violence and can lead to children being criminally exploited across the city. Apprehending them successfully is the result of months of hard work and dedication on the part of a team of highly skilled detectives, supported by colleagues from the National Crime Agency and Border Force.”  

Stephens went on to conclude: “We are wholly committed to bringing organised crime groups to justice and making London safer.”