Smugglers hide £40,000 of heroin inside children's books at Heathrow

Smugglers hid heroin worth tens of thousands of pounds inside children's books in a bid to fool border security staff at Heathrow Airport. Sniffer dogs discovered 400g of the Class A drug – with a street value of £40,000 ($60,000) – inside the covers of My First 100 Machines and My First 100 numbers.

Border staff say the drugs, which were among freight, arrived from Nairobi in Kenya and were headed for Ontario, Canada. They were discovered by border staff at Heathrow in November.

Border Force Heathrow director Phil Douglas said: "Border Force officers are the front line in the fight against smuggling and play a crucial role in protecting the UK from illegal drugs and other contraband. As this case shows, however traffickers attempt to conceal drugs our officers will find them.

"The trade in illegal drugs is big business and the criminals who engage in this activity are always looking to find new ways to evade detection. It is our job to stay one step ahead of them and to put a stop to this terrible trade that has such a destructive impact on the lives of so many."