Chelmsford: £12m Worth Of Cocaine Seized

Police have seized around £12 million worth of cocaine in Chelmsford following a six-month investigation into the "top echelon" of organised crime.

An investigation led by Titan, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, has led to the biggest drug seizure since the unit started in 2008, police said.

Supported by the South East Regional Crime Unit, SOCA and Border Policing Command a co-ordinated operation led to a van being stopped on Saturday afternoon.

Two men, aged 50 and 25, from the Urmston area of Manchester, were detained with the vehicle and a subsequent search led to recovery of what is believed to be 80kgs of cocaine with a potential street value of £12 million.

Following this recovery, with support from the police forces of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire, co-ordinated arrests took place across the North West leading to the arrests of a further five men and one woman.

Head of Operations for Titan, Detective Superintendent Jason Hudson, said: "These arrests come as a result of a thorough and intensive six-month long investigation by officers from Titan."

Police arrested a 44-year-old man from Grappenhall, Warrington, in Kirkham, Lancashire and a 41-year-old woman from Grappenhall, Warrington, in Runcorn, Cheshire.

They also arrested a 52-year-old man from Partington, Greater Manchester, a 30-year-old man from Aintree, Merseyside, a 36-year-old man from Halewood, Merseyside, and a 46-year-old man from Urmston, Greater Manchester.

They have all been arrested on suspicion of the importation of Class A controlled drugs and remain in police custody for questioning.