Two Men Arrested Over £10 Million Cocaine Haul Found in Frozen Fish Van
Keating Brothers Nabbed in Major Drugs Bust
Michael Keating, 53, from Springwell Lane, Uxbridge, and Matthew Keating, 46, of High Street, Rickmansworth, were arrested on Thursday, 2 December. Both have been charged with conspiring to import class A drugs after a huge cocaine seizure.
£10 Million Cocaine Stopped in Its Tracks
The cocaine haul was discovered in November 2019 by Border Force officers at Newhaven. It was hidden in the back of a refrigerated van transporting frozen fish. The street value of the seized cocaine is a staggering £10 million.
Cash and Court Dates: What’s Next?
Alongside drug charges, Michael Keating faces an additional count of possessing criminal property after £100,000 cash was found during a National Crime Agency (NCA) search of his home. Both brothers appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on 3 December. They will face further hearings at Isleworth Crown Court on dates yet to be confirmed.
NCA Cracks Down on Dangerous Drug Networks
“This was a significant seizure of cocaine which, had it not been stopped, would have ended up in the hands of gangs involved in street violence and exploitation,” said NCA senior investigator Martin Matthews. “We’re determined to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks smuggling class A drugs into the UK.”
Three others have already been charged in connection with the case and await trial.
