Lorry driver jailed for £3.8m cocaine smuggling attempt

A lorry driver has been jailed for 12 years after attempting to smuggle 30 kilos of cocaine into the UK through Dover.

Border Force officers stopped an Italian-registered lorry at the freight controls in the Eastern Docks, Dover on 16 January 2015. They questioned the driver, Artur Doda, and searched the vehicle and its load of flowers from the Netherlands.

In a purpose built concealment under the cab floor officers found 29 packages wrapped in brown tape. The packages all contained white powder which tested positive to a field test for cocaine.

Forensic tests later showed the cocaine to have an exceptionally high purity which gave the drugs an estimated potential street value of £3.8 million.

Doda, an Italian national born in Albania, was arrested and the case was passed to the National Crime Agency. He was later charged with the attempted drugs importation.

He pleaded guilty at a hearing at Canterbury Crown Court on 2 February and was sentenced there on Friday (13 March 2015).

Paul Morgan, Director of Border Force South East and Europe said: "This was an excellent seizure and I would like to pay tribute to the Border Force officers who play a crucial role in protecting the UK from illegal drugs every day.

"We work closely with law enforcement colleagues, including the NCA, to prevent drug trafficking and do all we can to put those responsible behind bars."