A 67-year-old woman from Greater Manchester has been charged after 25 kilograms of heroin were discovered in a suitcase at Birmingham Airport, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Monday.
The suspect, identified as Zahida Perveen, a resident of Aldermoor Close in Openshaw, Manchester, was arrested on October 24 shortly after arriving on a flight from Pakistan. The narcotics were recovered from her luggage during a search by border officials.
According to the NCA, Perveen has been charged with conspiracy to import Class A drugs. Two other individuals, Syed Shah, 39, a Border Force officer from Hodge Hill, Birmingham, and Shahid Butt, 52, from Saltley, Birmingham, have also been charged in connection with the case.
Shah and Butt face additional charges of money laundering, authorities confirmed. The arrests followed a joint investigation by the NCA and Border Force.
“All three individuals have been charged with conspiracy to import Class A drugs, with Shah and Butt also facing money laundering charges,” the NCA said in a statement.
