Foie Gras Cover-Up: £8 Million Cocaine Haul Seized at UK Port
Big Bust at Newhaven Port
A ruthless crime gang smuggling nearly 100kg of cocaine under a stash of gourmet foie gras and duck breast has been smashed by UK law enforcement. Border Force officers at Newhaven port, East Sussex, stopped a ferry from Dieppe, France in November 2019. Hidden beneath a false floor in a transit van, the £8 million batch of coke nearly slipped through undetected.
Four Men Sent Down After Clever Sting
Judges at Hove Crown Court have sentenced four men involved in the smuggling plot. The van’s driver was cleared, but vehicle owners Jean-Pierre Labelle, 48, from the Isle of Wight, and Tanvir Hussain, 46, from High Wycombe, were found guilty. They joined brothers Michael Keating, 56, from Uxbridge, and Matthew Keating, 49, from Rickmansworth, behind bars.
Kingpin Keating’s Encrypted Empire Crumbles
Michael Keating, identified as the gang’s mastermind, used the now-shuttered encrypted messaging app EncroChat under the codename ‘Bestrocket’. The National Crime Agency (NCA) traced Keating via cell site data and intercepted chats, uncovering plans for future shipments and even images of a drug-smuggling boat he’d bought.
Matthew Keating admitted to a previous attempt to import 80kg of ketamine and also used the secretive platform to liaise with his brother.
Sentences Handed Down
- Michael Keating: 24 years for conspiracy to import cocaine
- Jean-Pierre Labelle: 17 years for conspiracy to import cocaine
- Tanvir Hussain: 10 years for conspiracy to import cocaine
- Matthew Keating: 7 years and 6 months for conspiracy to import ketamine
“The cover load of foie gras and duck breast is highly unusual, and Border Force colleagues did a superb job in seeing through it and the concealed floor,” said Mark Ruff, Senior Officer at the NCA.
“This result shows the NCA’s determination to bring to justice everyone involved in importation of illegal drugs—whether they sort the logistics, transport the substances, or benefit financially.”
The NCA said it will keep teaming up with partners to take down criminal networks and crush the Class A drug trade that fuels violence and misery across the UK.
