A pair of Columbian criminals who were the first in the UK to conceal cocaine chemically in hair wax bars have been sentenced to prison. Humberto Caicedo Ramirez, aged 53, and Carlos Barbosa Arias, aged 61, were apprehended during a police raid on their makeshift lab in a flat in Vauxhall, south London. The authorities discovered soap bars prepared for importation into the UK containing 3.51 kilograms of cocaine worth £211,320.
Bodycam footage captured the intense moment when City of London Police arrested the duo, following a tip-off from the UK Border Force. Gang member Sebastian Camacho Lopez, aged 31, was observed entering a property with a bag suspected of holding Class A drugs, later returning empty-handed. He then came back with Ramirez and Arias, all carrying a petrol can, water bottles, and other items. Lopez left again.
Specialized officers forced entry into the premises and caught Ramirez and Arias actively processing cocaine in a homemade lab. Arias, the group’s chemist, had traveled to the UK solely to share his expertise in the extraction process. Police found a considerable amount of cocaine, mixing agents, petrol, and processing chemicals inside the flat. Lopez was arrested the next day upon his return to the same address on suspicion of conspiring to supply cocaine.
In a recent court hearing at Inner London Crown Court, Ramirez received a sentence of 13 years and six months for production and conspiracy to supply. Arias and Lopez were handed eight years and six years and seven months, respectively. Another gang member, Jonny Delgado, aged 49, was sentenced to 16 years for involvement in a drug operation. Collectively, the group received a total of 44 years in prison.
Detective Constable Matt Cooper of City of London Police described the operation as highly dangerous and sophisticated, with a hidden chemical lab in a residential area. He emphasized the risks posed by the hazardous chemicals and equipment found, highlighting the relentless efforts of the police in targeting serious criminals.
Cooper stated that dismantling this organized crime group prevented a significant amount of cocaine from reaching London streets and beyond, ultimately safeguarding communities and lives. Additional members of the gang were previously convicted for their roles in the supply network, with varying sentences for their involvement.
The investigation serves as a testament to the police’s commitment to disrupting drug supply networks, both locally and internationally, as criminals devise increasingly complex methods to traffic drugs across borders.
