Four men – three from Argyll – have been arrested in Yorkshire after half a tonne of cocaine worth £40million was found in a van.
The National Crime Agency said the drugs are believed to have been brought to shore in a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) after being transferred from a larger vessel off the Hull coast.
Officers found the RHIB abandoned at Easington Beach, around 18 miles from the Stags Head Inn in Lelley in East Yorkshire, where around 500kg of cocaine was discovered in the back of a Vauxhall Vivaro in the pub’s car park.
The NCA said the drugs have a potential street value of £40m and would have been sold around the UK.
A 22-year-old whose address is only given as ‘Argyll’, a 32-year-old from Oban and a 24-year-old from Campbeltown were arrested at 8.30am on Saturday, as well as a 39-year-old from Colombia.
Senior investigating officer Alan French said: “This was a significant amount of cocaine and its seizure will be a sizeable blow to the organised crime group which attempted to smuggle it into the UK.
“There’s no doubt these drugs would have been sold into communities around the UK, fuelling further crime and exploitation.
“Working with our law enforcement partners we are determined to do all we can to disrupt criminal activity, and protect the UK’s border security.
“Our investigation continues following these arrests.”
The NCA operation was supported by Humberside Police, Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit and Border Force.
