A man who imported six barrels of drugs cutting agent to supply to cocaine factories has been jailed for 13 years.
The street value of cocaine diluted by the 150kg of Benzocaine anaesthetic brought into the country by Mark Watling, of Chesford Road, Luton, would have been between £9 million and £13.5m.
Luton Crown Court heard that Watling, 39, had set up a business called Buffalo Global to import the chemical from China, saying it was to be sold on to legitimate businesses such as tattoo parlours that used Benzocaine to numb the pain.
He took delivery of the six barrels in June 2010 when they arrived Stansted Airport. But the police traced the barrels to five cocaine factories in Luton, and one in Huntingdon, and linked Watling to the factories through phone evidence.
Watling (pictured) pleaded guilty to six counts of encouraging or assisting in the supply of Class A drugs between June 5-18, 2010, and was jailed on Wednesday.
Judge Richard Foster told him he was a ‘major conspirator’. He said: “Cocaine is an evil substance.
“Young people experiment and quickly become addicted.
“Those who deal in drugs are peddlers of evil and misery who have no thought for the victims.”
A confiscation hearing is to be held at a later date.
