New Games

A British driver has been arrested at the Channel Tunnel with more than £4.5million worth of cocaine in his lorry, it emerged last night.

It is believed to be one of the biggest drugs finds in the history of the undersea link between the UK and France.

The powder - in the form of 93kg of pure cocaine and 63 kg of other substances used to cut the drug - was discovered during a routine search by French customs in Calais.

They were investigating the inside of the lorry, which had British plates, last Thursday when they found the drugs hidden in seven plastic packages.

All were laid in a row in a sleeping area at the back of the driving compartment of the HGV.

‘It was an astonishing find,’ said a customs official.

‘Drug traffickers are becoming more and more daring in their methods, and this is an example of the risks they are prepared to take.

‘We identified the powder as pure cocaine and cutting products immediately and the driver was arrested.

‘He was on his way to Britain, perhaps having travelled up from the south of France. He has been questioned and is expected to be charged with drugs trafficking.

‘All of the cocaine will be destroyed.’

France’s Paris-based customs directorate issued a communiqué announcing the find, saying: ‘The value of the seized drug is estimated at more than €4.530.000 in the illegal drugs market.’

Officials would not name the British driver, citing 'security reasons.'

In August a security guard who tried to smuggle four kgs of cocaine into the country was jailed for 11 years.

Habib Mohammed El Toufeill, 39, was caught by revenue and customs officers as he drove into the Inward Bound Tourist Area at the UK control zone of the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles in September 2007.

El Toufeill was questioned and the car was searched, before being taken to Dover for a more detailed check. The cocaine was discovered in the bumper.

At Canterbury Crown Court on August 8 El Toufeill, of Fallows Close, London, was sentenced to the prison term. He had been found guilty of importing cocaine at an earlier hearing.

Revenue and customs spokesman Georgina Myles said at the time: ‘HM Revenue and Customs, along with the UK Border Agency, is working at the forefront of the fight to stop drugs entering the UK and to reduce the associated harm to our communities.

‘We aim to protect society from this activity wherever we detect it, at the borders or inland.’

Source Daily Mail

His French will be fluent when he comes home then


daft bastard has not got much chance of getting out of that one then especially as the stuff was found in the cab

My thoughts exactly ! Some people really are asking for it.

Well after several well publicised cases over the last few years about both innocent and guilty parties anyone who even risks it these days asks for all they get.