A Bulgarian national has been handed a harsh prison sentence in the UK for his involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking operation. Petko Zhutev, aged 39, was sentenced to 27 years in prison after he admitted to importing a class A drug, specifically cocaine, with an estimated street value of 200 million British pounds. The drugs had been concealed in a shipment of bananas and were transferred from the port of Portsmouth to London in early 2021.

Zhutev, who had entered the UK from Bulgaria in January 2021, used his position as the director of a food import company, Agro Food Ltd, to organize the smuggling operation. During his retrial at the Old Bailey, the jury was informed that Zhutev had orchestrated the entire scheme, utilizing his company's logistical resources to facilitate the drug trade.

Alongside Zhutev, several other members of the gang were also sentenced. Four Albanian nationals were involved in the operation, and they too received substantial prison sentences. Eric Muci, one of the key accomplices, was sentenced to 33 years, while Bruno Kuci received 24 years, Ghergii Diko was jailed for 18 years, and Olsi Ebeja was given 17 years.

Zhutev’s criminal history includes other offenses, including submitting a fraudulent loan application to his company during the Covid pandemic. His sentencing comes amidst an ongoing trial of Bulgarians accused of spying for Russia at the same Central Criminal Court in London.

Source: Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)