Cocaine Worth £1 Million Discovered in Electric Wheelchair

£1 Million Cocaine Seized from Electric Wheelchair

On March 30, 2025, at Manchester Airport, Border Force officers discovered approximately £1 million worth of cocaine concealed within an electric wheelchair during a routine security check.

The passenger, 56-year-old Portuguese national Casimiro De Lemos-Francisco, had arrived on a flight from Bridgetown, Barbados. Upon scanning the wheelchair, officers found 11 packages of cocaine, weighing a total of 12 kilograms, hidden in the seat and backrest.

De Lemos-Francisco has been charged with drug smuggling and is scheduled to appear at Manchester Crown Court on May 6. National Crime Agency (NCA) senior investigating officer Charles Lee commented on the incident, stating, “The concealment shows the ingenuity crime groups employ to smuggle cocaine. The NCA works with partners at home and abroad to combat the threat of Class A drugs and protect the UK public.”