A 56-year-old Portuguese man was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison after being caught attempting to enter the UK with nearly 1 million euros worth of cocaine hidden inside an electric wheelchair. The individual was allegedly deceived through social media.
Casimiro de Lemos Francisco, originally from Guimarães, believed he was helping a supposed girlfriend he met on Facebook, potentially a fictitious identity, to secure funds. The defense presented this information during his trial in England, where he now faces almost seven years of incarceration.
During the court proceedings, attorney Rachel Shenton described Casimiro as “a naive man, in love with a woman” who “got involved in something nonsensical, ultimately committing a crime.” Casimiro was under the impression he was assisting his alleged partner in receiving an inheritance. However, it was also noted that he had recently been released from prison in Portugal and was “in deep debt,” hoping to earn some money through the transport.
“Regarding this crime, he is not a victim. He knew what he was doing, accepts his guilt and responsibility,” Rachel Shenton asserted.
It Was Not His First Wheelchair Trip to England
The presiding judge emphasized that Casimiro’s smuggling attempt was not “the typical simple operation we see with suitcases full of drugs,” but rather a relatively sophisticated one. Evidence suggests he had made the journey before, using the wheelchair, even though only the trip where he was caught was considered during sentencing.
After serving part of his nearly seven-year sentence, Casimiro is expected to be deported to Portugal and barred from returning to England.
Pretended Disability to Smuggle 1 Million Euros in Cocaine
The incident occurred on March 30 of this year, when Casimiro feigned a disability to enter Manchester Airport in England, with 1 million euros in cocaine concealed in an electric wheelchair.
British authorities grew suspicious of the Portuguese man’s behavior, and upon inspection, found 12 kg of drugs hidden in the seat and backrest of the equipment. Additionally, the battery contained a tracking device installed by the criminal network responsible for the illicit trade.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) reported this as the second similar conviction this year. In February, Canadian Ronald Lord, 71, received a six-year prison sentence after being detained at Gatwick Airport with 8 kg of cocaine hidden in an electric wheelchair, valued at almost 700,000 euros.
