Dutchman guilty for smuggling illegal drugs using fake ambulance courier

A Dutchman is guilty for smuggling £1.6 billion worth of illegal drugs into the UK using a fleet of ambulance.

In a report by Halifax Courier, Leonardus Bijlsma, the smuggler, is the "right-hand man" in the criminal conspiracy that involved fake paramedic uniforms, ambulance, and even bogus patients. Bijlsma, 55, is from Hoofddorp, Amsterdam. He is now facing possible long term jail time for denying the accusations in a two-week trial held at Birmingham Crown Court.

The court was told that this criminal operation may have already brought up to £420 million class A drugs to the UK, according to the East Lothian Courier. Prosecutor Robert Davies said if these drugs reach the street level, the figures would increase up to a staggering four-fold.

"The prosecution suggest this was a top-level, audacious, and - up to the point of interception and the arrests - a successful and lucrative criminal conspiracy," said Davies.

Meanwhile, The Courier reported that Bijlsma said he was only there to fix the broken ambulance heater in Colchester, Essex. That area is where the drugs are loaded and unloaded according to prosecutors.

The Dutchman, who is a father-of-four, told the Birmingham Crown Court jury he was paid 250 euro to be the co-driver of the ambulance that belongs to Olof Schoon. According to prosecution Davies, the police found Bijlsma's DNA on a gun and gloves found in the ambulance.

Olof Schoon is now part of the trial. Besides Schoon and Bijlsma, another man is also involved, Richard Engelsbel, who has already admitted the crime and will be sentenced next week. Dennis Vogelaar, 28, from Vijfhuizen, Amersterdam was acquitted from the smuggling case.

These men were arrested in Smethwick, West Midlands in June 2015. Meanwhile, Vogelaar and Engelsbel were arrested in that location when the Mercedes ambulance they were driving was seized. The authorities found cocaine, heroin and ecstasy in the car.