Man Jailed For Drug Smuggling At Dover

Henryk Centner, 50, a German national of no fixed abode was sentenced last Thursday (1 May) at Canterbury Crown Court to 14 years imprisonment for the importation of 60kgs of pure Amphetamine Sulphate and 8 years for importing 200kgs of cannabis.

Centner was convicted by unanimous verdict after previously pleading not guilty to both charges at Folkestone Magistrates Court on 5 November 2007.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officers at the inward freight controls at Dover's Eastern Docks seized the Amphetamine Sulphate and Cannabis on 4 November 2007. HMRC officers had intercepted the German registered lorry and after questioning Centner, the driver, examined the vehicle and found 10 holdalls containing the cannabis and seven boxes of Amphetamines hidden within the load of trees and shrubs.

Bev Morgan, HMRC SE England spokesperson said: "HM Revenue & Customs, along with the newly formed UK Border Agency, is working at the forefront of the fight to stop drugs entering the UK and to reduce the associated harm to our communities. We aim to protect society from this activity wherever we detect it, at the borders or inland. Anyone with information relating to smuggled goods should contact HMRC's 24 hour hotline number on 0800 59 5000."