Dutch man gets 17 years in UK jail for cocaine trafficking

A 52-year-old Dutch horse dealer was sentenced to 17 years in prison by the Crown Court in Canterbury for smuggling 50 kilograms of cocaine into Dover in the United Kingdom. He smuggled the drugs to raise money for the career of his daughter, a successful show jumper, the Telegraaf reports.

The British court found Mario van G. guilty of smuggling 50 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of almost 4 million pounds [around 4.5 million euros] into the country at the port of Dover.

Van G. was caught last summer in Dover, where the ferry from the French town of Calais stops. Customs officers found the cocaine in the cargo area of a truck meant for horse transport. He was driving the truck.

Van G.'s home in Limbricht, Limburg was later raided and the authorities found 270 thousand euros in cash.

The Dutch man always maintained that he is innocent, according to the newspaper.