Noe Machado was stopped by customs officers for a random check as he went through the "Nothing to Declare" channel

Noe Machado was stopped by customs officers for a random check as he went through the "Nothing to Declare" channel at Edinburgh Airport with his wife and four children.But an x-ray of his luggage detected packages and a total of 16 kilos of the Class A drug were recovered - the biggest single haul of cocaine in the Lothian area.Machado was interviewed by detectives and Advocate depute Morag Jack said: "The accused indicated to police that the reason for the
trip to the UK was to celebrate his son's birthday." At the High Court in Edinburgh 40-year-old Machado admitted illegal importation and being concerned in the supply of the drug on November 10 this year.Machado's solicitor advocate, John Keenan, said Machado accepted he had been in possession of drugs but had "no idea of the value of the drugs involved". Lord Uist deferred sentence on Machado for the preparation of a background report but told him: "You should be in no doubt that crimes of this sort result in nothing other than a significant sentence.He added: "I take it the family group was really a cover for the transport of drugs."
He was remanded in custody for the preparation of a background report.

Cornelius Roets pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to the importation of herbal cannabis

Cornelius Roets, 44, was stopped by customs officers after flying in from South Africa via Amsterdam in February.When they asked if he had packed his bag himself Roets claimed it had been packed by a man named Frank in South Africa who paid him £1200 to transport it to Scotland.He said he did not know what was in the bag but admitted suspecting there might be drugs.Roets pleaded guilty today at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of herbal cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act at Edinburgh Airport on February 24 this year.Roets, a prisoner in Edinburgh Prison, was remanded in custody until he is sentenced later this month.