Border Force seizes cocaine and heroin at Dover Eastern Docks

Border Force officers at Dover have seized approximately 18 kilos of cocaine and seven-and-half kilos of heroin.

The drugs, once cut and sold on the streets, have a potential street value running into millions of pounds.

Yesterday (Sunday, 2 March 2014) officers at Dover's Eastern Docks stopped and searched a Slovenian-registered lorry and its load of acoustic panels. The drugs were found in the body of the cab.

Dragan Petric, 52, a lorry driver from Pozarecvac, Serbia appeared at Folkestone Magistrates Court today, 3 March, charged with the importation.

He withheld his plea and was remanded in custody. Petric will next appear at Canterbury Crown Court on 24 March.

Following the seizure by Border Force, the investigation and prosecution are being carried out by the National Crime Agency.

Paul Morgan, Director of Border Force South East and Europe said: "This is an excellent seizure of extremely harmful drugs and I would like to pay tribute to the vigilance and hard work of the officers involved.

"We will continue to work hard to keep our borders safe and crack down on drug smuggling."

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call the smuggling Hotline on 0800 59 5000.