£9m worth of cocaine found in lorry trailer
BAGS of cocaine with a street value of £9m were allegedly smuggled into the North East in the back of a lorry.
Border Force officers at the Port of Tyne in North Shields stopped a Polish lorry on Friday morning which had arrived in the region on a ferry from Amsterdam.
The vehicle was scanned with an X-ray before officers carried out a search and found around 115 kilos of the Class A drug in the trailer.
The contents of the packages tested positive for cocaine and will now undergo forensic analysis to determine its purity.
Rafal Chyl, 27, a Polish man of no fixed UK address, was arrested and subsequently charged with importing a Class A drug.
He appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he was remanded in custody to next appear at Newcastle Crown Court on November 22.
Liz Versi, director of Border Force North, said: “It is the job of Border Force to stay one step ahead of the smugglers who would look to bring dangerous drugs like this into the country.
“This was a significant seizure by Border Force officers, who have prevented a large amount of dangerous Class A drugs from ending up on the streets of the UK.
“Every year Border Force officers seize Class A drugs worth hundreds of million of pounds. Working with law enforcement colleagues like the National Crime Agency (NCA) we are determined to prevent drug trafficking.”
The investigation was passed to the NCA.
Andy Etherington, NCA Operations Manager, said: “The National Crime Agency, working with our colleagues at Border Force, are committed 24/7 to protecting our borders and those who think that the North East Ports are a weak point to be taken advantage of should think again.
“Anyone who tries to exploit our borders by attempting to smuggle drugs from abroad will be brought to justice.
“Cocaine destined to be sold here in the UK by gangs will not now reach our streets. We are committed to keeping illegal substances and the harm they bring to communities out of the country.”
The Government’s Serious Violence Strategy, which was launched in April, aims to combat the devastating impact drugs have on levels of serious violence.
It also highlights a strong link between drugs and serious violence and the related harm and exploitation from county lines.
County lines crime relates to gangs and criminal networks using extreme violence and intimidation to establish and maintain markets, with practices including forcing vulnerable people from their homes to establish a base to sell drugs. Branded mobile phone lines are used for the supply of drugs, mainly crack cocaine and heroin.
The county lines model involves modern slavery and exploitation of children alongside drugs supply and violent crime. The most recent national assessment of county lines, compiled by the NCA, suggests that there were more than 1,000 lines in operation nationally with links to increasing levels of serious violence.
Border Force officers use hi-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.