Harwich: £6.5m Drugs Seized At Port

15 December 2011, 15:12 | Updated: 15 December 2011, 17:07

Heroin and cocaine worth £6,560,000 has been seized at Harwich by the UK Border Agency - it's the biggest detection of Class A drugs at the port this year.

The drugs haul was found in a trailer that arrived at the port on a ferry from the Netherlands in the early hours of Wednesday December 14th.

When officers searched the trailer they found a series of boxes containing specialist medical equipment. The drugs had been concealed inside some of the boxes alongside the equipment.

In total, 44kg of heroin and 36kg of cocaine was recovered.

Bill Form, Assistant Director for the UK Border Agency at Harwich, said:

"This is the second significant drugs detection the UK Border Agency has made at Harwich in the last four weeks. These successes have prevented illegal drugs worth more than £10.5 million hitting British streets.

"If proof were needed that drug smugglers are serious criminals it is provided by seizures of this scale. Make no mistake, this is a big business that trades on human misery and we are working tirelessly to stop it.

"Our officers work round the clock and use the latest technology to stop illegal drugs from entering the country. Our activity at the borders protects our towns and cities from the harm that drugs cause to communities."

On 17th November, officers at Harwich seized heroin, cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis worth £4.1 million that had been hidden in a trailer full of Christmas decorations.

A 47-year-old Dutch man was arrested in connection with the latest seizure. He has now been released on bail pending further investigation.

Anyone with information about drug smuggling can call the UK Border Agency hotline on 0800 59 5000 where anonymity can be assured or they can visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/contact/report-crime/.