Suspect drug kingpin says 'just a script' confession: The Standard

A British man suspected of orchestrating one of the most brazen cocaine trafficking shipments in Europe in recent years told a French court that his bragging about it was "just a script."

 Robert Dawes, 46, has been tested on 1.3 tons of cocaine in an Air France plane near Paris at Charles de Gaulle airport from Caracas.
He was arrested in a dawn raid at his luxury resort in Benalmadena, Spain, in November 2015 after Spanish police filmed a conversation at a hotel in Madrid where Dawes claimed ownership of the drugs.
Soon after he was extradited to Paris, and since then his defense teams have tried to have the video recording dismissed as evidence on legal technicalities.
But during six hours of questioning On Tuesday, Dawes surprised the judges – and obviously on his own lawyers – by saying the claim was only a ploy to end what he called heavy-handed surveillance by Spanish police, by getting himself arrested.
"That was all a script," A close-cropped Dawes, wearing a t-shirt, told the short story only of judges.
"I spoke about airports, shipping ports, like I was involved in something," Dawes said of his meeting with a Colombian badociate, Fernando Cepeda.
Asked if he knew there was a hidden microphone in a nearby plant, Dawes said, "That's why I told you this, sit in the same place!"
– Stuffed in 30 suitcases –
But he reiterated he had no involvement in the Air France shipment, which was stuffed in 30 unregistered suitcases and had a street value of some 240 million euros ($ 275 million).
"The facts do not lie in this case, I have no connection with these people," he said of the other two Britons and three Italians also on trial.
Nathan Wheat and Kane Price were arrested after undercover officers tricked them into trying to transport some of the cocaine to Italy.
Marco Panetta, Vincenzo Aprea and Carmine Russo were also arrested in the operation.
"I know in my heart that I'm not involved in this crime," Dawes said.
Asked why he had stayed behind, while his wife and three children remained in Spain.
His surprising new evidence came from the state of the art.
Asked how the document came into his possession, Dawes did not understand his translator, answering only that if he had access to the full Spanish findings he could "prove my innocence".
Dawes, from a town outside Nottingham, central England, has a long record of convictions since his teenage years.
– 'Just chit-cat' –
After years of investigations, however, police believe he has become one of the largest drug importers in Europe, with alleged links to the Italian mafia and South American cartels.
At the time of his arrest, Spanish police said Dawes "the biggest criminal organization in Britain and Europe devoted to drug trafficking, money laundering and murder".
He is also accused of buying large amounts of drugs from Italy's secretive 'ndrangheta mafia, which is thought to run much of Europe's cocaine trade from Calabria.
But Dawes said that he was successful with a variety of businesses in Spain, including furniture and window manufacturing, management consulting and property investments.
Dawes' involvement in deals involving the large amounts of cash.
Asked about a recording in which Dawes discusses a real estate deal in Colombia, he said "it was just chit-cat."
The verdict is expected Friday.

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cocaine traffickingScriptShipmentsDrug kingpin