Five men have been arrested after half a tonne of cocaine worth more than £50 million was discovered in a private jet on Tuesday, January 30, 2018.
In what is believed to be one of the largest recent seizures of its kind, Border Force officers found around 500kg of the Class A drug.
They found the haul after searching an aircraft that flew into the UK from Bogota in Colombia on Monday.
Two Britons, two Spaniards and an Italian were arrested on suspicion of importing Class A drugs after the twin-engined jet landed at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire.
Cocaine worth an estimated £50m was brought into the UK on this private jet. The drugs were seized by @ukhomeoffice Border Force staff and the NCA are now investigating. Five people arrested. https://t.co/uXV4RbSwKd pic.twitter.com/QUHQhoqEN1
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) January 30, 2018
The Border Force said that the drug was hidden in 15 suitcases that were found on board.
Border Force Deputy Chief Operating Officer Mike Stepney said: “After meeting the flight and questioning those on board, officers became suspicious and searched the aircraft and their luggage.
“When opened, each case was found to contain between 34 to 37 tape wrapped packages weighing approximately one kilo each.
“One of these was pierced and a white powder exposed which tested positive for cocaine.”
The plane had come direct from Bogota, Colombia. Packages of cocaine were found hidden in suitcases that were on board. Those arrested are now being questioned by NCA officers. Many thanks to @HantsPolice for their assistance at the scene https://t.co/LTuNO1y4iD pic.twitter.com/WYzvZNWQ4x
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) January 30, 2018
Three properties in Bournemouth, Dorset, were also searched by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of the investigation. Computers and phones were also taken away for examination.
NCA operations manager Siobhan Micklethwaite said: “This is a major seizure of cocaine, one of the largest flown into the UK by plane in many years, and this seizure by Border Force represents a major blow to organised crime.
“We estimate that once cut and sold on the streets in the UK it would have had a potential value in excess of £50 million.”
The aircraft crew were questioned before being released without charge.
Read more at Telegraph
