A Hungarian lorry driver has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for attempting to smuggle 29kg of heroin into the UK, following a National Crime Agency investigation.
Canterbury Crown Court heard that Tibor Dobos, 54, was disappointed he was only smuggling 29kg of heroin, which had a street value of £2.9m.
His mobile phone messages to members of the organised crime group showed he wanted to smuggle 60kg of the Class A substance, worth £6m on the street, and receive a bigger pay out for his efforts.
Dobos, of Torokbalint near Budapest, was stopped as he entered the country at Dover on 28 July 2022.
He denied smuggling the heroin and his trial heard he had made space for the drugs somewhere between Italy and Belgium. His fingers prints were all over boxes where the heroin was hidden and he had also sent a message to someone confirming he had concealed the commodity.
The messages also referenced the package size and space. Dobos tried to argue he thought he was smuggling cigarettes, whiskey and tins of fish, but the jury did not believe him.
Paul Jones, NCA operations manager, said: “Like so many smugglers, Dobos enthusiastically got involved because of greed.
“He wanted to smuggle more than the 29kg he was caught with because he wanted a bumper pay day.
“He didn’t care at all about the bloodshed and devastation Class A drugs cause to our communities. Working with partners at home and abroad, the NCA will continue to do everything possible to fight the Class A drugs threat.”
Dobos was jailed on Wednesday (15th) afternoon.
16 October 2025
