National Crime Agency officers have arrested two men in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in connection with the attempted importation of cocaine with an estimated street value of £2.3 million.
In September 2023, the pills were found in a car that was being driven through the Coquelles, France, Channel Tunnel terminal on its route to the United Kingdom.
Eighty-eight kilogrammes of cocaine were found by Border Force officials from a specifically built conceal beneath the driver’s seat.
Lewis Krawciw, a 23-year-old Derbyshire resident from Whitwell, was the car’s driver when he was detained and accused of smuggling class A drugs. He is still under jail on remand and has an upcoming court appearance.
A 37-year-old man is accused of planning the smuggling attempt, and he was arrested by NCA investigators during a raid on a home in Emmett Carr Lane, Renishaw, Derbyshire, early today morning (8 February).
Officers also conducted a simultaneous raid on a another residence in Church Warsop, Nottinghamshire. A 26-year-old male turned himself in at a Nottinghamshire police station and was taken into custody on suspicion of drug importation charges, although no arrests were made at that location.
Investigators are still questioning both, and searches are still ongoing.
Richard Bowen, senior investigating officer with the NCA, stated:
“Today’s operation was the latest phase of an investigation into a significant drug importation that would have netted millions in criminal profit, had it got through.
“We are committed to doing all in our power to stop the flow of illegal substances and to disrupt and destroy the criminal networks that are responsible for their distribution, working with partners like Border Force.
“We’re still looking into it.”
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