Britons charged over huge drugs ring

Seven Britons, alleged to have helped organise a pounds 100m racket to market heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and hashish across Europe, were yesterday remanded in custody by a Dutch court. They were arrested last October when Dutch police seized pounds 75m-worth of cocaine stashed inside aluminium ingots. They will face separate trials on 9 and 10 April.

The defendants include a Liverpool man, Curtis Warren, 32, once dubbed "Target One" by Interpol. Also in the dock is Stephen Mee, 38, from Liverpool, who is wanted in Britain, and a third defendant, Ray Nolan, 28, who is also sought by British police. The other British defendants who will stand trial are John Farrell, 34, from Manchester, Stephen Whitehead from Oldham, also 34, William Fitzgerald, 55, from Liverpool, and 47-year-old William Riley.