Sian Banks’ fingerprints were found on packages of drugs that her gangster boyfriend Eddie Burton, 23, loaded onto one of two lorries which were stopped at Dover
A woman smitten by her drug dealer boyfriend’s lavish lifestyle, helped package 90kg of ketamine to be smuggling into the UK.
Sian Banks, 25, left her fingerprints all over the drug packages that her gangster beau Eddie Burton loaded onto two lorries intercepted at Dover.
Burton stashed over 300kg of class A and B drugs – worth around £20m on the streets – onto the lorries to settle a debt. A hardened drug supplier with convictions in both the UK and abroad, Burton’s crimes involved vacuum packing the drugs in an Amsterdam flat and reportedly earned him between £20,000-30,000 a month.
Banks, described as being “seduced by her love for Burton and the love for the lifestyle she was living”, didn’t just assist with one of the lorry shipments. She also smuggled cocaine and ketamine in her luggage through Liverpool John Lennon Airport and let Burton use her bank account while he was on the run.
Prosecutors told the court that Banks often travelled between Liverpool and Holland or Spain to be with her fugitive boyfriend.
The two love birds appeared in Canterbury Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday, February 12. However, Burton, 23, claimed he was forced into the drug plot, leading Judge Simon Taylor KC to postpone his sentencing to investigate a new plea based on modern slavery, reports the Liverpool Ech o.
Meanwhile, Banks’ sentencing proceeded under the assumption that she believed Burton was solely involved in drug trafficking for profit.
Prosecutor Paul Valder told the court: “This case is about drug smuggling and drug supply. Those drugs being cocaine, heroin and ketamine.
“Eddie Burton is a convicted drug supplier and he has now pleaded guilty to being a drug smuggler. Having been arrested and charged in the spring of 2021 for his part in a drug supply operation in Oswestry, Burton fled the country.”
Vader added: “He continued his involvement in the drug trade while moving between Holland, Germany and Spain. He was implicated in two instances where substantial amounts of drugs were smuggled into the UK by lorry via Dover.”
“These amounted to 192 kg of cocaine, 25kg of heroin and 90 kg of ketamine. The defendant Sian Banks was linked forensically to one of these importations, her DNA found on the packaging surrounding some of the drugs.”
“It is also evident from her phone that on two occasions she smuggled cocaine and/or ketamine back to the UK in her luggage on behalf of Burton to pass on to others, albeit there is no indication about how much those consignments were.”
The court heard that Burton was arrested for “illicit trafficking in narcotics” on 29 March 2022 while trying to reach a music festival.
Texts showed Banks knew her boyfriend was deep in the drug game to settle scores with “Chog”, and she reckoned he raked in her yearly legitimate earnings in just a month.
The court heard that Burton was considering turning himself in, but the thought of a German prison cell made him think twice so he legged it to Spain to continue his criminal escapades.
Banks faced six charges including importing class A drugs and money laundering, but she caved and pleaded guilty on day one of her trial. .
Burton, represented by Notu Hoon, pleaded guilty to four counts of importing Class A and B drugs after being returned to the UK by NCA officers. His sentencing is scheduled for next month, pending further investigation into his modern slavery claims.
After their convictions, NCA branch commander John Turner said: “Burton, with Banks’ help, attempted to smuggle huge quantities of harmful drugs into the UK, believing he could operate with impunity overseas. Banks held a crucial role in the criminal enterprise, laundering the illicit profits and acting as the UK-based facilitator for the multi-million pound drug importations.”
“The drugs, had they reached their final destination, would have had a destructive impact on our communities, fuelling violence and exploiting vulnerable people throughout the supply chain.”
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