Former Brown Cap Lewis arrested

By sosborn

Former Surrey and England cricketer Chris Lewis has been charged with smuggling four kilos of cocaine worth £200,000 into Gatwick Airport.

Lewis, 40, was arrested with basketball player Chad Kirnon, 26, on Monday as they arrived back in the UK from the Caribbean island of St Lucia.

UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers had found the four kilos of cocaine in solution contained in fruit tins.

They both appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with attempting to smuggle drugs into the UK, and were remanded in custody until December, when they will appear via video link at Mid Sussex Magistrates Court in Haywards Heath.

Bob Gaiger, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Gatwick spokesman said: "This was an excellent detection by UK Border Agency officers.

"Together with UKBA play a vital role in the fight to prevent illegal drugs from entering the UK and in protecting our communities from the violence and corruption that always accompany this hideous trade."

Lewis played for England in the 1990s, racking up 32 test matches and 53 one day internationals.

The Guyana-born player has a long history with Surrey, and represented the Brown Caps this season in both the Friends Provident Trophy and Twenty20 Cup.

He is perhaps most well known for being the bowler who Brian Lara pulled for four to break the record for the highest score in a test match in April 1994 in Antigua.

He originally retired from county cricket in 2000 because of a persistent hip injury after unsuccessful spells with Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.