Prison officer met gang boss in jail then joined Border Force and helped him smuggle drugs

A PRISON officer built up relations with a convicted drug supplier in jail before landing a job with Border Force and aiding his crime group to smuggle drugs, a court heard.

Kevin Smith, 38, built a relationship with gang boss David Johnson, 51, while he was a prison officer at the jail he was at to serve a sentence for drugs importation, Kingston Crown Court heard.

Smith was arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) Anti-Corruption Unit in August 2023 as part of a joint operation with the Metropolitan Police Service and Border Force.

Earlier that day Smith, who was responsible for searching vehicles and checking passports, had allowed drug smuggler Caprice Thompson, 46, from Brixton, to pass through his Border Force booth at Portsmouth port, having arrived on a ferry from France. Her car contained 15 kilos of MDMA worth around £400,000.

As she drove back towards London she was stopped by Met officers who arrested her and found the drugs in the boot.

She was arrested on August 26 after weeks of careful observation of her movements. She was intercepted in a rental car on the way back to London from the port of Portsmouth where that day.

Two other members of the crime group were also arrested – ringleader Johnson and Sinan Baki, 49, both from Clapham, south London.

Officers observed the routes taken by members of the group, including Thompson, who was picking up MDMA batches from France and used a data-led approach to obtain phone evidence and show how the group were organising drug deliveries.

Detectives downloaded hundreds of messages across multiple encrypted apps creating a timeline to show the different drop off points in south London, mainly near Brixton and Clapham. The team also worked with ferry companies and car rental units to show the direct routes being used to bring the drugs directly into the area.

Through these investigative techniques, the Met determined the distinctive roles of each member of the network.

Met officers arrested Baki and Johnson on the same night where further significant quantities of drugs were found hidden in their addresses and vehicles, including behind the steering wheel of Baki’s car.

Further drugs were recovered from their properties.

The joint operation followed an investigation into the crime group by the Met, who brought in the NCA once it became clear a corrupt insider was in contact with Johnson.

The NCA put Smith under surveillance, and obtained CCTV evidence that the former prison officer engaged in a number of face to face meetings in Portsmouth with Johnson in the run-up to the smuggling attempt.

Following Smith’s arrest NCA officers also recovered a mobile phone which he had used to exchange encrypted messages with Johnson.

Johnson pleaded guilty to importing class A drugs, and Baki admitted possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

Smith admitted a charge of misconduct in a public office. He was cleared of drug smuggling charges during a trial at the court that also saw Thompson convicted of the same offence on 4 April 2024.

Yesterday, Friday June 7, a judge at the same court sentenced Smith to two years in prison. Johnson was given a 12-year jail term, Baki got eight years, and smuggler Thompson was handed a seven year sentence.

Dave Rock from the NCA’s Anti-Corruption Unit said: “Fortunately this type of corruption is relatively rare but it does present a real threat to the security of the public, which is why we treat it as a priority.

“People like Kevin Smith are invaluable to organised crime groups, as they can use their access and knowledge to aid their criminal endeavors.

“This operation demonstrated the excellent co-operation between the NCA, Met Police and Border Force who worked together to stop this gang in their tracks and prevent class A drugs reaching the streets.”

Detective Inspector Lydia Stephens of the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Command said: “These individuals were heavily involved in the large-scale supply of Class A drugs in London that severely impacts our communities, drives violence and can lead to vulnerable people and children being criminally exploited across the city.

“Apprehending them successfully is the result of months of hard work and dedication on the part of a team of highly skilled Met detectives, supported by colleagues from the National Crime Agency and Border Force.

“We are committed to bringing organised crime groups to justice and making London safer.”