Police Seize £17.5 Million Worth Of Heroin And Cocaine From A Van At The Channel Tunnel
UK Border Force officers have seized around £17.5 million worth of heroin and cocaine concealed in the panels of a van travelling to the UK via the Channel Tunnel. Two men have been arrested and charged with importing Class A drugs.
Police made one of the biggest seizures of drugs ever at the Channel Tunnel after they discovered 200kg of cocaine and heroin hidden within the wall panels of a van. Two men have been arrested and charged with drug smuggling offences after the huge haul of narcotics was discovered on June 10 when the van attempted to enter the UK. Authorities have estimated the street value of the drugs to be around £17.5 million.
Those arrested were a 68-year-old Belgian man and a 60-year-old Dutch man.
The van was intercepted by Border Force officers at the Tourist Controls at the Channel Tunnel UK Border in Coquelles in France.
Both men have been charged with importing Class A drugs and the case has been passed over to the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Kit Malthouse, Combating Drugs Minister, said: "This case is just one example of our Border Force and law enforcement colleagues working around the clock to smash the business model of drug gangs by tackling their supply chains.
"The human cost of narcotics is tragic, which is why our 10-year drugs strategy sets out the action we are taking to make our streets safer by tackling the supply of drugs and also treating those in the helotry of addiction."
Director of Border Force Europe, Mr Ian Hanson, said: "This was outstanding work by Border Force to stop £17.5 million worth of drugs reaching Britain's streets and causing further harm to our communities.
"This seizure and others like it send a clear message to anyone considering attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country that we remain committed and prepared to tackle drug supply chains. "We are working tirelessly to prevent organised criminal gangs smuggling drugs through the border. Working closely with NCA and police and we are detecting and breaking these drug supply chains."
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