Border Force seize cocaine worth £19 million hidden in lorries carrying toys and paper

National Crime Agency says three arrests were made in connection with the seizures

Large volumes of cocaine were seized from two lorries at the Port of Dover (Getty Images)

Border Force officials have arrested three people after £19 million worth of cocaine was found in lorries containing toys and paper.

The drugs, which have a street value of £19 million, were discovered in two HGVs at the Port of Dover and were seized on Monday

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the two vehicles are not thought to be linked to each other.

One of the HGVs came to the UK from the Netherlands carrying a cargo of paper and card. An estimated 140kg of cocaine, worth around £14 million, was located in a void in its floor.

Another 50kg of the class A drug, valued at about £5 million, was seized from side lockers in the second lorry, which contained a consignment of toy building blocks.

The NCA said the driver of the first vehicle, 62-year-old Dutch national Gerrit Van Eckeveld, from Nieuwegein in the Netherland, was detained and later charged with importing cocaine.

He was remanded in custody after appearing in magistrates’ court on Wednesday and will appear before Canterbury Crown Court on 20 May.

Two Czech citizens were arrested and later released under investigation in connection with the second HGV, the NCA added.

Martin Grace, the NCA’s Dover branch commander, said the two seizures showed that international criminal networks still “pose a threat to the UK” despite lockdown.

“These two seizures have deprived those networks of a substantial amount of drugs and, crucially, a substantial amount of profit that would have been reinvested in more criminality,” he added.

Dave Smith, regional director of the Border Force, said: “This was a very successful day’s work for our officers who, between the two seizures, have taken a very substantial amount of drugs out of circulation.”

Press Association