:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/SRJ4JD7QWGVVKVX5FE3HIRXTIQ.jpg)
A haul of cocaine worth an estimated £33 million (€38 million) was found in a shipment of onion rings about to enter the United Kingdom.
The illicit cargo weighing 418 kilos was discovered on Thursday evening by Border Force officers when they stopped a lorry at the UK inbound zone in Coquelles, France.
Piotr Perzenowski (30) of Mazowieckie, Poland has now been charged with smuggling Class A drugs.
He appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning and was remanded to appear at Canterbury Crown Court on December 13th.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/HRXQBOCBYNCI3GU3M42TRSRJUA.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/Y2BP2JGBNWHOS4JHQI7G73ERS4.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZG2AHVECPMF2TCWOR4TTE4W44Q.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/RIRG34AWPB7JNEAWE7KBHKJO3E.jpg)
National Crime Agency branch commander Mark Howes said: “This was a really significant amount of drugs taken out of circulation.
“The seizure will deprive the organised crime group responsible for them of profit which would have fuelled more offending.
“Working with our partners such as Border Force we will continue to fight the Class A drugs threat in our mission to protect the public.” – PA