A man named Zak McDonald, who lived in Birmingham, was caught on a train with drugs hidden inside him. The police were investigating a new drug operation called the “Kane line” in Aberystwyth, Wales. They discovered that a mobile phone linked to the drug gang had traveled back and forth between Birmingham and West Wales several times in two months.
During one of these trips, the Welsh police intercepted the train and arrested Zak McDonald, a 21-year-old from Great Barr. They found a drug phone, £120 in cash, a return train ticket, and some cannabis in his possession. Suspecting that he was hiding more drugs in his body, the police took him to the hospital for a scan. However, Zak refused the scan.
Later, he had natural bowel movements that revealed two bags containing heroin and crack cocaine. The bags contained a total of 68 wraps of heroin and 70 wraps of crack cocaine, worth around £2,700. If the amount of drugs recovered on March 12 was similar to his previous trips, the total value could have been as high as £22,000.
When Zak appeared in court, he admitted to possessing cocaine and heroin with the intention to sell them, being involved in the drug trade, and having cannabis for personal use. His lawyer, Hannah George, explained that Zak was a young and vulnerable person who had been pressured by more serious criminals to transport drugs.
She mentioned that he had been pursuing an apprenticeship in engineering and had tried to distance himself from negative influences. However, he had been stabbed on his last day of college, and his mother’s illness and the loss of three of his aunties had also affected him.
Recorder Simon Hughes, the judge, agreed that Zak had been subjected to coercion and exploitation. As a result, Zak received a 28-month prison term. After serving half of the term, he will be qualified for parole, and the remaining time will be spent under community supervision.
