A trucker who smuggled £238,000 worth of heroin into Kent to pay for his grandmother’s medical bills has been jailed.

Alaksandra Kuzmanovic told officers he was persuaded to import 4.7kg of high quality diamorphine after running into “money problems.”

A judge at Canterbury Crown Crown jailed the German national for five years today.

Judge James told the 27-year-old: “Without people like you willing to take the risk smuggling drugs, the criminal gangs behind this evil trade would not be in the position to take these substantial profits.

“Profits which are generated by the misery Class A drugs cause to people and communities.”

The court heard Border Force officers unearthed seven packages from a bag in Kuzmanovic’s cabin during a random search.

His Czech registered HGV had been stopped inbound at Dover’s Eastern Docks on September 27, when he claimed to be hauling paper.

Officers discovered a black bag containing Kuzmanovic’s personal effects alongside seven packs of heroin.

Subsequent lab tests revealed the brown powder was at 37-53 percent purity, largely deemed “high quality” by the authorities, William McBride, prosecuting said.

And the street value was calculated at £238,000, with wholesale fetching around £85,000,

“The packages were pierced with a knife and found to contain coarse, brown, lumpy powder.

“A drugs field test was conducted on two of the packages, both returned a positive result of a heroin base.”

Ian Bond, mitigating, argued Kuzmanovic came under financial strain after losing his job in tourism as a result of the Covid pandemic.

He added Kuzmanovic believed the drugs were cannabis and agreed to courier them for £1,000, to help pay for his unwell grandmother’s medical bills.

Kuzmanovic, who appeared in court remotely from HMP Elmley with the aid of an interpreter, also pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, Mr Bond added.

Speaking after sentencing, NCA branch commander Mark Howes said: “This was a crude attempt to bring heroin into the UK with Kuzmanovic making very minimal attempts to hide his drug smuggling.

“Heroin ends up in the hands of county lines gangs, bringing violence and exploitation to the streets.

“We will continue to work closely with our Border Force partners to disrupt the supply of heroin into the country from our borders.”

Dave Smith, regional director Border Force south east & Europe, added: “The sentencing of Aleksandar Kuzmanovic this week is the result of hard work and dedication from Border Force and the National Crime Agency to secure the UK’s borders and prosecute those that seek to smuggle illegal drugs into the country.

“Border Force’s work with the NCA to stop drugs entering the UK is a core part of the government’s 10-year drug strategy to cut crime and save lives.”

“Those involved can be proud of their work and particularly those officers that intercepted and stopped this dangerous drug from entering our communities.”