Pensioner caught smuggling £640,000 worth of cocaine into UK in mobility scooter

Ronald Lord, 71, was stopped at Gatwick Airport in the UK after flying in from Barbados

A pensioner who tried to smuggle cocaine valued at more than £600,000 into Britain concealed within his mobility scooter has been jailed.

Eight kilograms of the Class A substance was discovered hidden in the rear seat panel of Ronald Lord’s scooter when he was intercepted at Gatwick Airport on February 7 2025, the National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed.

The find came to light after Border Force officers put the vehicle through an X-ray machine, officials confirmed The 71 year old insisted he had been enjoying a week-long break in Barbados and was visiting the UK for tourism purposes, the NCA stated.

Lord, who hails from Montreal in Canada, maintained to investigators that he had no idea how the narcotics ended up in his scooter and flatly denied any involvement.

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Yet the screw from the scooter’s seat panel was discovered in the OAP’s pocket during a subsequent search.

NCA specialists put a street value of approximately £640,000 on the seized cocaine haul, according to the agency.

Lord admitted to Class A drug trafficking offences during proceedings at Croydon Crown Court on August 5 and received a six-year jail term at the same court on September 5, the NCA confirmed.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Richard Wickham commented: “Organised crime groups need smugglers like Lord to bring class A drugs into the UK, where they are sold for huge profit by gangs who deal in violence and exploitation.

“He obviously thought that because he was a pensioner he would be less of a target for law enforcement. He was wrong, and I hope this case sends out a message to anyone who would consider doing the same.

“Working with partners like Border Force, the NCA is determined to do all we can to stop class A drugs finding their way into the hands of criminal gangs, and target those involved in helping them.”

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