UKP 640M DRUG BARON GETS 20 YEARS

A former cathedral guide who is estimated to have made up to UKP 640
million from drug-trafficking was jailed for 20 years yesterday. Andrew
Billimore was said to have built up his business to such an extent that he
was importing 50kg every three days.

Billimore, 34, was described by a judge at Norwich Crown Court as dealing
"at the very top of the bracket" of the "most significant" drug ring seen
in the eastern region for many years.

His half brother and "able lieutenant", Thomas McTaggart, 37, of Meldreth,
Cambridgeshire, a former paratrooper, was jailed for ten years after
admitting conspiring to supply amphetamines and cannabis. He was said to
have made more than UKP 1.2 million out of drug trafficking.

Detectives, who won praise for their work in cracking the drug-smuggling
operation, seized drugs with a street value of more than UKP 800,000 and
found more than UKP 130,000 in cash after following Billimore, McTaggart
and their associates for months.

Billimore, of Downham, Cambridgeshire, a former guide at Ely Cathedral, had
told another prisoner while on remand that he bought cocaine from the
Netherlands for UKP 20,000 a kilogram and from Colombia for UKP 16,000 a
kilogram. Detectives estimated that on that basis Billimore could have
earned UKP 640 million over a six-year period.

Billimore laughed when the figure was suggested in court and his lawyers
said that the estimate was way off the mark. But police believe that he has
huge amounts of money stashed away or buried. "Drug baron is the right
word," a police source said after the hearing. "This is a premier league
dealer. he has few previous convictions. but successful drug dealers don't
get caught very often. that's why they're successful."