Border Force officers arrest German man at Port of Dover on suspicion of smuggling cocaine
00:00, 08 October 2014
updated: 11:30, 08 October 2014
A German man has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling cocaine - with an estimated value of up to £200,000.
Charles Ukachukwu Imoh, 57, of Essen, Germany was stopped after he arrived by coach from Frankfurt, Germany, in the early hours of Saturday, October 4.
Following searches Border Force officers recovered around 80 small packages containing class A drugs, weighing approximately one kilo with an estimated value of between £81,000 and £200,000.
Tests will now be carried out to establish the purity and final value of the drugs.
Imoh was questioned by investigators from the National Crime Agency’s Border Policing Command and charged with attempting to import class A drugs.
He appeared before Folkestone Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he withheld his plea and was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on October 27.
Paul Morgan, Director of Border Force South East and Europe said:“Border Force officers use a variety of methods and technology to prevent class A drugs entering the UK, and their expertise is regularly demonstrated by seizures like this.
“Working with law enforcement colleagues including the NCA we are determined to do all we can to prevent drug trafficking and put those responsible behind bars.”
Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call the hotline on 0800 59 5000.