Revenue & Customs Officers at East Midlands Airport have made their largest-ever seizure of cocaine. 50 kilos of the Class A drug were found concealed in the shafts of golf clubs being brought into the country. The cocaine has an estimated street value of £2 million.
Paul Harper, senior detection officer at East Midlands Airport for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said, “This latest seizure of cocaine is a significant step forward in fighting the war on drugs. This is the largest haul we have made of a class A drug being smuggled into the UK through East Midlands Airport. The success of this operation sends a clear message to organised crime gangs – our intelligence and detection skills are second to none.”
Customs Officers examined eighteen separate freight consignments of golf clubs, which had arrived at the airport from South America en route to a self-storage facility in Kent. Each package was found to contain four golf bags, with each bag containing a set of golf clubs. Each golf club was found to contain around 40 grammes of cocaine in the hollow shaft.
No arrests have currently been made and Custom’s enquiries are continuing. Individuals with information relating to illegally imported and smuggled goods are encouraged to contact HMRC’s confidential hotline number on 0800 59 5000 or email customs.confidential@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
HM Revenue & Customs www.hmrc.gov.uk
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