Man held after 2kg of heroin found in wedding dress

A man is in custody after customs officers found 2kg of heroin hidden in a wedding dress, the Border Force said today.

Officials discovered the package, with an estimated street value of £90,000, in a suitcase at Heathrow airport.

It had been sewn into the hems of a traditional Pakistani bridal gown and was found on Sunday June 3, the force said.

Mohammed Khalil Bhatti, 33, from Pakistan, was arrested and charged with importation offences. He had earlier arrived at Terminal 3 on a flight from Karachi.

Bhatti appeared before magistrates in Uxbridge, west London, on Tuesday where he was remanded in custody to appear again on July 3.

A 30-year-old man from the Luton area was also arrested and later bailed pending further inquiries.

Damon Jackman, Border Force Heathrow deputy director, said: "This seizure was highly unusual and shows the lengths smugglers will go to.

"But Border Force officers are on constant alert to keep heroin and other banned substances out of the UK.

"Drug trafficking is a serious offence and those convicted face long prison sentences."

PA