A PENSIONER has been jailed for 12 years after trying to smuggle £900,000 worth of heroin into the UK.

Tahir Ali, was stopped by customs officials on February 20 after arriving at Heathrow airport on a flight from Doha, in Qatar.

The 66 year-old’s two trolleybags were searched and found to contain 15 wrapped packages of heroine weighing nearly 20kg, with an estimated street value of £895,050.

Ali, of Chadwell Heath Lane, Chadwell Heath, pleaded guilty on June 16 to smuggling a class A drug into the UK.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Isleworth Crown Court on July 23, minus the 150 days he had already spent in custody.

Dave Gostelow, a spokesman for HM Revenues and Customs, said: “This sentence shows how seriously drug smuggling is treated and anyone tempted to become involved should think again.

“Smuggling drugs is a serious crime and the criminals involved care only about lining their own pockets without a second thought of the untold harm that these deadly drugs do to our communities.

“If you know of any illegal activity of this nature please telephone our 24 hour hotline on: 0800 59 5000.”