03/09/2008

Drugs Worth £4.5m Uncovered

A man is to appear in court today charged with attempting to smuggle heroin worth an estimated street value of £4.5 million into the UK.

Stephen Macnamee, 30, from Bryn Tewan, Holyhead on Anglesey is to appear at Folkestone Magistrates' Court after 220lb (100kg) of the Class A drug was discovered by officers, in the boot and the rear passenger seat of a French-registered car at Dover's Eastern Docks.

The ferry had been arriving from Dunkirk.

The heroin was found hidden in three suitcases in the car, customs officers have revealed.

Carole Upshall, of the UK Border Agency, said: "This is another excellent result. Smugglers are criminals who are only out to make a profit.

"They do not care about the harm that they cause by smuggling, whether it is drugs, dangerous counterfeit cigarettes or illegal immigrants."

HM Revenue and Customs spokesman, Bob Graiger, also said vigilance by UK Border Agency helped prevent the drugs from reaching the streets.

Stephen Macnamee has been charged with attempting to smuggle drugs into the UK.

Meanwhile, £3.25m worth of heroin and over two dozen handguns were seized by police in Ireland yesterday as part of an international anti-organised crime operation that spanned both the Irish border and mainland Europe as well.

Two men were arrested - one on each side of the Irish border - and a total of 27 firearms were discovered as the international police operation against a trafficking gang swung into action.

See: Arrests Halt International Gun And Drug Operation

(JM)(BMcC)

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