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Arrests after 'significant' 400kg cocaine seizure

Matt Sharp A small boat next to a large Border Force vessel on Ramsgate harbourMatt Sharp
A fishing boat was stopped at sea on Sunday morning by Border Force, said the National Crime Agency

Four men have been arrested after a "significant" drugs haul was seized from a fishing boat off the coast of Kent.

Border Force officers said they intercepted the vessel at sea on Sunday morning and discovered 400kg of cocaine.

Three men on board, aged 64, 45 and 25, were arrested on suspicion of importing class A drugs and taken into police custody to be questioned by National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators.

A fourth man, aged 36, was arrested in Rainham, east London, said the NCA.

National Crime Agency a large pile of packets of a white substance lying on a plastic sheet on what appears to be the deck of a boat or shipNational Crime Agency
Officers found 400kg of cocaine on board, said the National Crime Agency
Matt Sharp a police vehicle parked on Ramsgate Harbour with boot open while two officers in black uniforms, carrying what appears to be guns, stand with their backs to the cameraMatt Sharp
Police and Border Force officers were seen at Ramsgate Harbour on Sunday morning

NCA operations manager Jules Harriman said: “This amount of cocaine will represent a significant loss for the organised crime group that attempted to import it into the UK.

"With our partners at Border Force and the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC), we have successfully removed this harmful drug consignment from the criminal marketplace.

"Our investigation into this importation continues."

Danny Hewitt, director of Border Force National Operational HQ, said it was a "significant seizure", adding that Border Force and NCA are working together "to stop these toxic drugs from hitting our streets in the first place".

“We continue to work tirelessly to protect our borders and keep the public safe,” he said.

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