An Ilford woman caught red-handed with more than £5million worth of heroin has been jailed for eight years.

Sibela Ahmed, aged 29, of High Road, Ilford, pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday, 6 September to possession with intent to supply 51 kilograms of heroin, which has a street value of approximately £5.1m.

She was sentenced at the same court on Monday, October 8.

On December 7, 2017, detectives from the Met’s East Area Proactive Team stopped a taxi in Meath Road, Ilford.

Ahmed was sitting on the back seats and in the foot well by her feet was a plastic bag containing approximately five kilograms of heroin.

She was arrested at the scene.

Officers then carried out a search at her home address on High Road, Ilford and inside, found a further 46 kilograms of heroin hidden under her bed and in a suitcase.

Combined, the total street value of the 51 kilograms of heroin was approximately £5.1m.

Ahmed was charged and on Saturday, December 9, 2017 she appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court where she was remanded to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

After pleading guilty, Ahmed was sentenced to eight years in jail.

Det Con Kevin Rowley, from the Metropolitan Police’s East Area Proactive Team, said: “I am very happy with today’s result.

“Over 51kg’s of heroin has been removed from London’s streets which will no doubt save plenty of lives and help eradicate an issue which has blighted not just London, but the rest of the UK.

“I have no doubt that by taking this big a volume of Class A drugs off the streets, we have severely disrupted an organised crime network and I hope the public feels reassured that we are doing all that we can to clamp down on drug dealers.

“Ahmed was clearly thinking about herself when she agreed to store this large amount of heroin and now she will be able to spend the next eight years thinking about the consequences that it has caused her.”