A Homerton woman has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years after being caught trying to smuggle more than £569,000 of crack cocaine into the UK.

Roseanna Shakes, 57, of Coopersale Road, and Karen Anderson, 50, of Enfield were stopped at St Pancras International in August after arriving from Paris with two suitcases.

Border Force officers noticed Anderson’s case seemed heavy even when empty and when x-rayed it did not appear normal. Closer examination found cocaine stuffed in the support struts.

Anderson’s second case, and Shakes’ baggage, was also examined and cocaine was found hidden in the same place in all three items.

Forensic analysis confirmed it had a purity of 81 per cent. The 5.25 kilos of the drug was estimated to have a UK street value of approximately £569,100.

The pair were sentenced today at Isleworth Crown Court. Anderson, who pleaded guilty. was jailed for eight years and four months. Shakes was found guilty after a five-day trial.

The judge said each sentence would have been five months less if the concealments had not been as professional.

Paul Morgan, director of Border Force, said: “This was a cynical attempt to smuggle Class A drugs into the UK and the Border Force officers who foiled it prevented the consignment from reaching our streets.”