Irish Times
Saturday, September 27, 1997

Heroin wrapped as gifts, court told

A London contact in a drugs ring, allegedly masterminded by the man
known as "The Boxer", arranged for parcels of heroin wrapped in
Christmas paper to be flown to Dublin, a British court was told
yesterday.

The parcels, the contents of which could fetch up to £150,000 on the
street, were carried by a former prostitute, Ms Katherine Brooks (33), a
jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court, London, heard.

Ms Brooks was drawn into the drugs ring by Turkishborn, Mr Turhan
Mustapha (48), who, it was claimed, was the London contact for Dublin of
Mr Thomas Mullen, known as "The Boxer", allegedly the mastermind of the
drugs ring.

The court was also told that Mr Mullen paid for a flat in London with
nearly £6,000 in used notes and claimed his grandmother had left him the
money.

Mr Mullen (26), of Etchingham Park Road, Finchley, London, denies one
count of conspiracy to export heroin between September 1995 and June
1996. Mr Mustapha is pleading guilty to the same count.

Under cross examination, Ms Brooks said that each trip from London City
Airport to Dublin would be worth an ounce of heroin with a value of
about £1,000.

She said Mr Mullen called at the Dublin hotel she booked into on March
24th. Mr Mullen claims it was impossible he was there on that day.

Ms Brooks said she could not be sure the date she said she met Mr Mullen
was correct.

Ms Brooks said that her evidence against Mr Mullen was "mixed up" and
"back to front".

The drugs ring was smashed by undercover police after Ms Brooks was
arrested on her way to London City Airport with £150,000 worth of
heroin.

The court was told a raid of her London home revealed a further 4kg
worth £592,000. Ms Brooks had confessed she had been regularly smuggling
drugs for Mr Mullen and his London contact, Mr Mustapha.

The case continues.