Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Neal Keeling

Man from Bolton amongst four arrested after £140m worth of cocaine found in shipping container

A man from Bolton is among four men arrested after a huge stash of cocaine worth £140m was seized at a port in Suffolk. The suspects were held today in morning raids after an investigation by the National Crime Agency.

The NCA said in a statement: "Two of the suspects aged 67 and 48, are from Chorley, Lancashire; one 39-year-old is from Bolton, and the fourth is a 40-year-old from Derby in the Midlands. They were all arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to import cocaine and remain in custody awaiting interview."

NCA officers conducted searches of their homes and a number of business premises in Derby, Chorley and Standish, near Wigan.

READ MORE: Dealers joked about getting complaints from mums of kids they employed to sell drugs

In August this year Border Force officers discovered a container at the Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk, containing the huge 1.4 tonne haul of Class A drugs in 20 kilo sacks. The discovery sparked the NCA investigation.

Richie Davies NCA Branch Commander said: “This is a massive haul of cocaine with an estimated street value of £140m the NCA has been working intensely to identify and pursue those responsible. There’s no doubt these drugs would have been sold on into communities across the UK in such ways as County Lines fuelling further crime and misery.

“Organised crime groups are motivated by money and the deprivation of these drugs knocks a hole in the Organised Crime Group’s plans and ability to operate. We continue to work with partners such as Border Force in our mission to protect the public from the Class A drugs threat.”

READ MORE:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.