A Beckenham man has been jailed for eight years after attempting to import £17 million worth of cocaine into the UK, hidden inside car engine parts.

James Doyle, 36, was caught after Border Force officers intercepted a suspicious shipment at Heathrow Airport in February 2023. The parcel, arriving from the United States, was declared as automotive engine components—but inside were 7 kilograms of high-purity cocaine, with a wholesale value of £500,000, and a street value estimated at over £17 million.

An investigation by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command revealed Doyle had arranged the shipment using encrypted messaging platforms, coordinating both payment and delivery. He was arrested at his Beckenham home shortly after the package arrived in the UK.

During a search of his property, officers found the imported drugs along with multiple electronic devices used in the operation.

Doyle pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Tuesday at Croydon Crown Court to eight years in prison.

Detectives say the seizure prevented millions of pounds’ worth of drugs from reaching London’s streets, and described Doyle as playing a “significant role in an organised criminal network.”