In a significant bust, four individuals have been apprehended by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers following the discovery of half a tonne of cocaine worth £40 million in a village pub car park.
The arrests, made on suspicion of conspiracy to import class A drugs, took place around 8:30 am yesterday in Lelley, East Yorkshire. The haul was found stashed in the back of a van parked at the Stags Head Inn in Lelley.
While the pub declined to comment, a source close to the establishment emphasized that the find had no connection to any staff members.
Authorities suspect that the drugs were transported from a larger vessel off the coast of Hull in East Yorkshire, utilizing a rigid-hulled inflatable boat just hours prior to the arrests. The smaller boat was discovered abandoned on rocks at Easington Beach, County Durham.
The individuals in custody, three from Scotland and one from Colombia, are currently under police custody as investigations proceed.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Alan French commented on the seizure, stating, “This was a significant amount of cocaine, and its seizure will be a sizeable blow to the organised crime group which attempted to smuggle it into the UK. There’s no doubt these drugs would have been sold into communities around the UK, fuelling further crime and exploitation.
French highlighted the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies in disrupting criminal activities and bolstering border security. He affirmed the NCA’s commitment to ongoing investigations in the wake of the arrests.
The NCA operation received support from Humberside Police, the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit, and Border Force in executing the arrests and furthering the investigation.
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