Second man charged over £10million cocaine haul at Newhaven Ferry Port
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The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed 43-year-old Jean-Pierre Labelle from the Isle of Wight appeared before Newport Magistrates’ Court on Monday (June 29), charged with importing class A drugs.
He was remanded in custody until his next appearance at Lewes Crown Court on July 27, it said.
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Hide AdHis arrest and charge follows the discovery of the class A drugs in the early hours of November 23, last year.
Border Force officers recovered 97 packages each containing approximately a kilo of cocaine. They were concealed in a load of frozen fish in the rear of a refrigerated van searched by Border Force as it came off a ferry.
The drugs had an estimated potential value of around £10million, the NCA said.
The driver, 50-year-old James Satterley from Cookham in Maidenhead, was later charged with importing class A drugs. He now awaits trial.
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Hide AdPeter Stevens, NCA branch commander, commented: “Working with partners like Border Force we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks involved in attempts to circumvent border controls.
“Illegal drugs are linked to violence on our streets and the exploitation of the vulnerable, that is why this type of crime is a priority for us.”
Tim Kingsberry, Border Force regional director, added: “This was an excellent seizure by Border Force officers, who have prevented a large amount of lethal Class A drugs from reaching the UK’s streets.
“Alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to do all we can to disrupt the international trade in drug smuggling.”
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