'Foolish man enamoured with a female' locked up after mobility scooter X-rayed at Manchester Airport

Casimiro De Lemos-Francisco, a 56-year-old from Portugal, was nabbed at Manchester Airport with nearly £900,000 worth of cocaine stashed in a mobility scooter after arriving from Barbados. Despite using the scooter, he had no mobility issues, and footage showed him walking without it at other times. After claiming he was just visiting a friend, a test on the scooter’s seat revealed cocaine. X-rays showed 11 packages inside, totalling 12.8 kilograms. De Lemos-Francisco, who had previously made the same trip, denied knowledge of the drugs but was caught with a tracking device in the scooter’s battery compartment. His defence revealed a backstory involving a woman from Facebook, leading to his reckless decision-making. Sentenced to six years and nine months, he was warned of likely deportation back to Portugal. The judge noted the operation’s sophistication, while the National Crime Agency condemned using a supposed disability for drug smuggling, highlighting their commitment to combatting such organised crime.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News