Jury told of airfield drugs drop

A man smuggled more than £9 million worth of Class A drugs into a Shropshire airfield, a court has heard.

Gerald Richard Martinelli is on trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court accused of four charges of importing more than 152kg of drugs including heroin, cocaine and ecstasy into Sleap Airfield, near Wem, last year.

The jury was told that Martinelli was the "UK importer" for the trafficking ring or "UK importer's man on the scene".

The 67-year-old, from Stockport, is accused of importing 51.7kg of 100 per cent pure cocaine, 76.9 kg of 100 per cent pure ecstasy and 4.46kg of 100 per cent pure heroin between February 16 and March 2, 2006.

He is also accused along with 39-year-old Mark Chambers, also from Stockport, of importing 19.826kg of powder containing heroin between February 16 and May 21, 2006. The pair deny all charges.

Mr Shane Collery, prosecuting, told the court yesterday the drugs had a street level value of between £9,560,000 and £9,730,000. The wholesale value was put at between £3,137,000 and £7,500,000.

"We are talking about an awful lot of money these drugs are worth on the streets of this country," he said.

He said the the drugs were flown into the north Shropshire airfield from abroad.

"The crown's case is that there is strong inference in the facts to show that both defendants were knowingly concerned in what was going on," said Mr Collery.

"The fundamental and covert care of this was a light aircraft to traffic the illegal consignment into the UK, making use of that light aircraft where you may think there's less chance of customs officers rolling by and getting caught."

The jury heard 52-year-old pilot Silvano Turchet had previously pleaded guilty to four charges.

"Mr Martinelli accompanied Turchet and the evidence strongly points to him being the UK importer or the UK importer's man on the scene," he added.

The trial continues.

By Deborah Collins