Roger and Sue Clarke jailed for cruise drugs smuggling

A British couple have been jailed for eight years by a Portuguese court for drug smuggling on a cruise ship.

Roger and Sue Clarke, both 72, were caught last year while attempting to smuggling 9kg (20lbs) of cocaine with a street value of £1m.

The couple, from Bromley in London, were on the Marco Polo which was sailing from the Caribbean to Europe.

A raid on their cabin as the ship entered Lisbon found the Class A drugs in the lining of four suitcases.

The judge dismissed the couple’s story they were duped into bringing the cases for a friend and said they were knowing drug smugglers.

As she sentenced them to eight years, Mrs Clarke began crying, while her husband turned to her and said “we will be 80 when we get out”.

The judge said she was determined not to let Portugal become a gateway to Europe for drugs.