pounds 13.2m cannabis haul

Three men and a woman from the same family have been arrested in a police operation that recovered cannabis with a street value of pounds 13.2m, police said yesterday.

Detectives had been carrying out an investigation for several months in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Liverpool and were amazed at the size of the haul, believed to be one of Britain's biggest involving cannabis.

The drug was handed over at motorway service stations after being smuggled from the continent by a "family gang" based in Nottinghamshire, police said.

Other suspects were being interviewed in different parts of the country while Regional Crime Squad detectives were liaising with continental police forces. Police said four people were expected to appear before magistrates in Nottingham on Wednesday. Some would also face allegations relating to a loaded pistol.

A Nottinghamshire police spokesman said: "As a result of an operation since the beginning of last year by the regional crime squad, a number of people have been arrested and charged with drugs trafficking offences."