Snow falls on Kent - in June
Thread Starter
Snow falls on Kent - in June
UK cross channel GA getting yet another bad write up in the press.
It appears L2K is under surveilance according to this BBC report.
Belgian former SAS pilot who threw barrels loaded with £2.5million of cocaine out of his light aircraft to accomplices waiting in the Kent countryside below is jailed for 14 years
Rudi Sels piloted a light aircraft from Belgium and dropped cocaine over Kent
The former SAS pilot, 65, had stuffed the drugs into barrels wrapped in duct tape
Accomplices Jonathan Hart, Michael Mealing and Andrew Barrett waited below
The trio were jailed for a total of 38 years in January while Sels got 14 years today
Read more: Ex-SAS pilot threw barrels loaded with cocaine over Kent | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Rudi Sels piloted a light aircraft from Belgium and dropped cocaine over Kent
The former SAS pilot, 65, had stuffed the drugs into barrels wrapped in duct tape
Accomplices Jonathan Hart, Michael Mealing and Andrew Barrett waited below
The trio were jailed for a total of 38 years in January while Sels got 14 years today
Read more: Ex-SAS pilot threw barrels loaded with cocaine over Kent | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
It appears L2K is under surveilance according to this BBC report.
Prosecutor Adrian Flasher said Sels was under surveillance when he met two of the British plotters at the Golden Lion pub in Rochester.
He was then seen loading his plane in Belgium, bound for Le Touquet in France.
He was then seen loading his plane in Belgium, bound for Le Touquet in France.
Last edited by Mike Flynn; 30th Nov 2017 at 10:38.
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source http://remos.com/?attachment_id=82&lang=en
REMOS is getting more and more international. After the first REMOS has flown its new owner to Belgium in spring 2015 we are present in our westernly neighbour country as well. Rudi Sels, retired pilot of the Belgium Air Force, is flying his REMOS GXNXT with passion and full satisfaction. Now we received greetings from Rudi – a sunset flight, beautiful as it can be. Blue Skies, Rudi!
Here is Rudi flying something more upmarket.
Last edited by Mike Flynn; 29th Nov 2017 at 14:44.
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The aircraft will no doubt come up for auction via HMRC soon while Rudi languishes for several years in a UK prison.
What little is visible of the reg in both pictures is remarkably similar.Join Date: Aug 2005
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I had a field visit on Monday from the new special branch ports cop in charge of monitoring airfields in my area. He stopped by the strip to introduce himself, nice enough guy and you could tell he was the real deal. I think in the past that position was filled by a local cop at the twilight of his career who couldnt be arsed breaking up fights at the taxi rank after the pubs closed or chasing neds round the scheme anymore and the airfield assignment was an easy way to glide into retirement. This guy however was a young former military intelligence and counter terrorism specialist in Afghanistan prior to joining the cops and was as sharp as a tack. So it looks like the government are really looking at GA smuggling of drugs, asylum seekers, terror and organized crime. Not surprising really after all the dip****s like the guy in this thread who have that have had their collars felt recently for smuggling stuff in light aircraft.
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Ex-SAS pilot from Belgium? I think not. Daily Fail at it again.
I hope he rots. I know someone who's life has been totally destroyed by drugs. I personally think anyone caught smuggling this poison should be forced to eat it, all of it...
Thread Starter
More background.
The court heard that Sels had been given a suspended prison sentence in Belgium for possession of cannabis and having a weapon some six months before the cocaine plot.
In January 2015, police had raided his home and found 103 cannabis plants, scales, bags and a lecture on cultivating the drug as well as a forbidden weapon.
Rupert Hallowes, mitigating, told how Sels had a “colourful career” as a top helicopter pilot.
Previously, he flew high level dignities around the world and during the Cold War, he had been sent on secret missions with the SAS, he said.
The defendant, who lost his wife eight years ago, retired on an army pension but continued to fly commercially.
In January 2015, police had raided his home and found 103 cannabis plants, scales, bags and a lecture on cultivating the drug as well as a forbidden weapon.
Rupert Hallowes, mitigating, told how Sels had a “colourful career” as a top helicopter pilot.
Previously, he flew high level dignities around the world and during the Cold War, he had been sent on secret missions with the SAS, he said.
The defendant, who lost his wife eight years ago, retired on an army pension but continued to fly commercially.
Thread Starter
Cross channel people smuggling and drug running appears to be on the increase.
19 September 2017
An American footballer who flew cocaine with a street level value of £716,000 into the UK in a light aircraft has been jailed for 10 years.
Dutch national Kevin Ricardo Bourne admitted importing the Class A drugs when the plane landed on 27 December 2016 at Biggin Hill Airfield, south east London.
The plane arrived from a small airfield in Hoeven, near Rotterdam, where IT worker Bourne, plays American football part time.
There were four occupants in the plane: two Dutch crew, Bourne and his German girlfriend. No action was taken against the others.
Border Force officers discovered nine kilograms of cocaine inside plastic bags hidden in a large black bag Bourne was carrying and the National Crime Agency (NCA) began investigating.
Bourne, aged 32, was also carrying a small bag.
When he was stopped by Border Force officers, he tried to take the large bag back to the aircraft before they could search it.
When asked if he owned the bags, he said no, indicating only the small bag was his.
Bourne, who had flown to the UK in a light aircraft 11 times since August 2016, told them: “I was instructed to take this.”
When investigators asked him who by, he replied: “The person who gave it to me,” failing to identify the person.
He originally claimed he did not know what was inside the big bag.
Bourne, of Amsterdam, Holland, initially pleaded guilty on the basis of duress but this was not accepted by the prosecution.
He said during summer 2016 he was befriended by someone in Holland who he met through playing American Football.
The person offered him free trips in small aircraft, which Bourne accepted in good faith, he claimed.
This person then flew them both in a light aircraft and Bourne made financial contributions when he could.
He told Croydon Crown Court that in October 2016 he received a packet of photos at his home address showing his daughter at school and he feared for her safety.
Bourne said he received a phone call on Boxing Day from a mystery man who told him to take a package to London.
He accepted he knew the bag contained drugs, but was forced to bring it to the UK.
Bourne claimed he has not brought other drugs on the previous trips to the UK prior to December 2016.
The judge dismissed Bourne’s account describing his claims as “manufactured”.
Bourne was sentenced on Monday to 10 years imprisonment.
Gary Fennelly, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “Bourne’s story changed throughout the proceedings.
“He originally claimed he didn’t know he was carrying cocaine despite trying to reboard the plane with the bag when he saw officers approaching.
“Then he admitted trafficking the drugs to protect his daughter, but this account was shown to be a fabrication at court.
“Thanks to the vigilance of Border Force we were able to investigate this crime group and punch a hole in its capabilities.”
Dan Scully, Deputy Director Border Force Intelligence, said: “Border Force uses a range of techniques to identify and target suspicious activity in our skies that pose a threat to the border. This is another strong example of how our intelligence-led approach is protecting the UK.
“Working with our partners, nationally and internationally, in this operation we were able to tackle a very serious threat and protect communities by preventing dangerous and illegal drugs reaching our streets.”
Border Force and the NCA are among the partners in Project Pegasus, a multi-agency campaign encouraging people living and working close to small airfields to report unusual activity associated with general aviation.
Anyone with information can report it to their local police force on 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
An American footballer who flew cocaine with a street level value of £716,000 into the UK in a light aircraft has been jailed for 10 years.
Dutch national Kevin Ricardo Bourne admitted importing the Class A drugs when the plane landed on 27 December 2016 at Biggin Hill Airfield, south east London.
The plane arrived from a small airfield in Hoeven, near Rotterdam, where IT worker Bourne, plays American football part time.
There were four occupants in the plane: two Dutch crew, Bourne and his German girlfriend. No action was taken against the others.
Border Force officers discovered nine kilograms of cocaine inside plastic bags hidden in a large black bag Bourne was carrying and the National Crime Agency (NCA) began investigating.
Bourne, aged 32, was also carrying a small bag.
When he was stopped by Border Force officers, he tried to take the large bag back to the aircraft before they could search it.
When asked if he owned the bags, he said no, indicating only the small bag was his.
Bourne, who had flown to the UK in a light aircraft 11 times since August 2016, told them: “I was instructed to take this.”
When investigators asked him who by, he replied: “The person who gave it to me,” failing to identify the person.
He originally claimed he did not know what was inside the big bag.
Bourne, of Amsterdam, Holland, initially pleaded guilty on the basis of duress but this was not accepted by the prosecution.
He said during summer 2016 he was befriended by someone in Holland who he met through playing American Football.
The person offered him free trips in small aircraft, which Bourne accepted in good faith, he claimed.
This person then flew them both in a light aircraft and Bourne made financial contributions when he could.
He told Croydon Crown Court that in October 2016 he received a packet of photos at his home address showing his daughter at school and he feared for her safety.
Bourne said he received a phone call on Boxing Day from a mystery man who told him to take a package to London.
He accepted he knew the bag contained drugs, but was forced to bring it to the UK.
Bourne claimed he has not brought other drugs on the previous trips to the UK prior to December 2016.
The judge dismissed Bourne’s account describing his claims as “manufactured”.
Bourne was sentenced on Monday to 10 years imprisonment.
Gary Fennelly, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “Bourne’s story changed throughout the proceedings.
“He originally claimed he didn’t know he was carrying cocaine despite trying to reboard the plane with the bag when he saw officers approaching.
“Then he admitted trafficking the drugs to protect his daughter, but this account was shown to be a fabrication at court.
“Thanks to the vigilance of Border Force we were able to investigate this crime group and punch a hole in its capabilities.”
Dan Scully, Deputy Director Border Force Intelligence, said: “Border Force uses a range of techniques to identify and target suspicious activity in our skies that pose a threat to the border. This is another strong example of how our intelligence-led approach is protecting the UK.
“Working with our partners, nationally and internationally, in this operation we were able to tackle a very serious threat and protect communities by preventing dangerous and illegal drugs reaching our streets.”
Border Force and the NCA are among the partners in Project Pegasus, a multi-agency campaign encouraging people living and working close to small airfields to report unusual activity associated with general aviation.
Anyone with information can report it to their local police force on 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Last edited by Mike Flynn; 30th Nov 2017 at 02:06.
Has there been any licit UK GA crime?
Ex-SAS pilot from Belgium? I think not.
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What happens if this guy has a bank loan on the plane and it gets forfeited under drug laws, do the cops tell the bank to piss off or do they sell it and give any proceeds to the bank to cover the outstanding loan?
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In the UK the police can confiscate and destroy a car which is uninsured.
The finance company, if any, has no say in the matter and can only pursue their debtor in the normal way.
I doubt the situation would be much different with an aircraft.
The finance company, if any, has no say in the matter and can only pursue their debtor in the normal way.
I doubt the situation would be much different with an aircraft.