Heroin Worth £750,000 Seized At Port

UK Border Agency officers are investigating after approximately ten kilos of heroin was seized at Dover. The drugs have an estimated street value of £750,000.

Officers stopped a British-registered VW Sharan which had arrived on a ferry from Calais on 27 February. After questioning the driver, they searched the vehicle and found 20 packages of the drug.

The 44 year-old driver from London was arrested and charged with attempting to import Class A drugs into the UK. He appeared at Folkestone Magistrates' Court on Monday 28 February where he pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody. He will next appear at Dover Magistrates' Court on 31 March.

Malcolm Bragg, the UK Border Agency's Criminal and Financial Assistant Director said: "UK Border Agency officers work tirelessly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to detect and prevent drugs from being smuggled into the UK. We are determined to prevent this terrible trade which can have such a destructive impact on the lives of so many.

"Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to drug smuggling should call our hotline on 0800 59 5000."

UK Border Agency officers use hi-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.

They also use an array of search techniques including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners - as well as visual searches - to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and cigarettes which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.