UP to £39,000 worth of heroin was sent from Pakistan to Basildon hidden inside women’s purses, a court heard.

The trial of Barry Smith has begun at Basildon Crown Court over an alleged operation that saw heroin hidden within purses inside two boxes.

The 37-year-old, of Town Square, Basildon allegedly called a freight company in order to ensure the packages were processed and delivered to Basildon after they were stopped at Heathrow Airport.

Smith denies being concerned in the evasion of prohibitions on imported goods.

Prosecuting, Harry Hewitt told a jury of six men and five women that the boxes had been stopped on March 13, 2019 after being flown from Pakistan.

He said: “Inside the parcels the officer found a number of ladies’ purses. It’s right to say the boxes also contained five tape-wrapped packages. The officer’s attention was caught by these.

“The powder inside proved positive for the presence of diamorphine [heroin].

“The packages contained 1.44kg of heroin, a valuation of between £25,000 and £39,000 in wholesale value.”

Mr Hewitt said the next day, the firm Chiltern Air Freight Ltd had received a call from a man claiming to be “Gary Roggers” trying to seek customs clearance for the package to be delivered to Basildon.

The firm said the packages would need an EORI [Economic Operators Registration and Identification] number from the government, and the government received a call the same day from an un-named man asking to get an EORI number, which was recorded.

Mr Hewitt said: “The recording was sent to a voice recognition expert alongside of Mr Smith’s voice.

“The expert said of the recordings, there is strong evidence that they are made by the same person.”

The court heard Smith was arrested in March 2020 where he was played the recording of the call to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, but he said “100 per cent that’s not me”.

Mr Hewitt told the jury the prosecution say it was Smith, and that he “knowingly contributed in this importation venture”.

The trial continues.