Indian-origin woman jailed in UK drug scam

An Indian origin woman who pleaded guilty to being a courier of heroin worth 50,000 pounds in Britain, has been jailed for three years.

Dipika Umratia, 24, reportedly carried the drugs in a cereal box during trips from Birmingham to Leicester Forest East, where she met co-accused Steffan Simon and Ezrah Quailey, according to the case hearing in the Leicester Crown Court.

The three then took the drugs to a flat in Earl Shilton, where they were "cut" with paracetamol and caffeine before being sold, reports from Leicester said. Simon denied the offence but was found guilty and was on Saturday sentenced to 10 years. Quailey pleaded guilty and was given six years, while Umratia, who pleaded guilty, was given three years.

During sentencing, Leicester Crown Court was told that on May 26 last year the police arrested the gang after watching Umratia hand over a cereal box of heroin to Simon and Quailey. The two were arrested as they pulled up outside the flat in Earl Shilton.

James Thomas, prosecuting lawyer, said: "Quailey sprinted from the vehicle carrying the bag with the box in it. As he ran, he tried unsuccessfully to throw the bag over a fence". The box contained 500g of heroin. Umratia was arrested at a city hotel.

The police also arrested Quailey's girlfriend, Theresa Harty, who lived at the Earl Shilton flat. Simon, Quailey and Umratia were charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs.