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Privacy NoticeHarry Potter star Miriam Margolyes’ home was once the centre of a major drug smuggling operation, with millions of pounds worth of cocaine hidden from the police. The charming cottage, owned by the 83 year old actress, who played Professor Sprout in the films, became a key part of a thwarted scheme by several drug lords. The secluded property was used as a drop-off point for helicopters carrying narcotics, in an attempt to smuggle cocaine into the country. The Dover-based home, often referred to as the closest house in the UK to France, took on a more sinister role in 2019. A gang from Merseyside used the house as a base to collect their drugs from Belgium.
Miriam played herbology teacher Professor Pomona Sprout in Harry Potter
(Image: (Image: WARNER BROS))
After purchasing the drugs in large quantities, they would distribute them across the country to smaller organised crime groups in the North East. Fortunately, Miriam was not present at the house during the drop-off. The house is perched atop the White Cliffs of Dover, offering views of France on a clear day. Built by the military in 1910, Miriam had used the house as a summer retreat for 40 years, occasionally renting it out as a holiday home for extra income, reports the Daily Star. However, between December 2015 and April 2016, the house was one of two properties hijacked by drug barons to stash £1 million worth of class-A drugs. Following a police investigation, 12 members of the Merseyside-based gang were arrested and charged in connection with the illegal import.
Steven Maddocks was jailed for acting as the gang’s money launderer
Sign up to OK!’s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free In a shocking discovery, police found £70k hidden in an Audi’s glove compartment, accessible only via the cigarette lighter. Steven Maddocks was later identified as the man hired to launder the money through his bank wages. Back in 2019, a group of men from Wirral were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court for their involvement in smuggling 500 kilograms of cocaine into the UK, valued at a whopping £17.25 million wholesale. The gang received collective jail sentences totalling over 100 years. Judge Sophie McKone, who presided over the case, condemned the men’s actions, stating they sought to “cynically reap the rewards” while inflicting harm on countless individuals. She said during sentencing: “You did all this out of greed. It is selfishness beyond contemplation.” Post-sentencing, the convicted remain behind bars.
Miriam told the story on The Graham Norton Show
(Image: ITV)
Miriam addressed the incident on The Graham Norton Show in 2020. She said: “One day I got a call from the police and they said ‘are the owner of the Gun Emplacement?’ and I said ‘yes’. And they said ‘are you aware it’s been used as a drop for criminals to get rid of their drugs? It’s a drug drop’. And I said ‘of course I didn’t know, what do you mean?’”. On the show, she also joked that people thought she was “in on it” and that they called her “Miriam Escobar”.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnGraham NortonHarry Potter
