Dover Drugs Seizure

Customs officers have seized opium with a street value of more than £160,000 at the Port of Dover.

The drugs were found on Monday when officers stopped a Bulgarian registered coach which had just come off a ferry, and was en route to London.  After questioning the drivers and passenger they discovered around eight kilos of the drug hidden in a holdall in the coach.

28 year old Bulgarian Ivan Gocev has been charged with drug smuggling. He is due before Dover Magistrates Court on 3rd November.

Carole Upshall, UK Border Agency Director for the south coast ports, said:  "This is an excellent example of how UK Border Agency officers work tirelessly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to detect and prevent drugs from being smuggled into the UK.

"We are determined to prevent this evil trade which can have such a destructive impact on the lives of so many.

"Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to drug smuggling should call our hotline on 0800 59 5000."

UK Border Agency officers use hi-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.

They also use an array of search techniques including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners - as well as visual searches - to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and cigarettes which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.