Border Force seize 92 kilos of Diazepam at Dover's Eastern Docks

Border Force officers at Dover’s Eastern Docks have prevented an attempt to smuggle approximately 92 kilos of diazepam tablets into the UK. 
 
On Friday evening (30 March 2018), Border Force officers at the inward tourist controls at Dover’s Eastern Docks stopped a British-registered Citroen C5.  They searched the car and found the tablets, which have an estimated street value of £250,000, hidden around the vehicle.
 
Paul Morgan, Director of Border Force South East and Europe said: "This was an excellent detection by Border Force.  It is illegal to possess diazepam without a prescription and there are serious risks to those who abuse the Class C drug. Results like this demonstrate the vital work Border Force officers are doing on the front line to keep dangerous drugs off the streets of the UK.
 
"Every year Border Force officers operating at the UK border seize drugs worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Working with law enforcement partners like the National Crime Agency (NCA) we are determined to prevent drug trafficking and to bring those responsible to justice."
 
A 27-year-old Croatian national, Blago Alpeza, was arrested and the investigation passed to the NCA.  Alpeza, of no fixed UK address, was later charged with the attempted drugs importation. 
 
At Canterbury Magistrates Court on Monday, 2 April, Alpeza withheld his plea and was remanded in custody until his next appearance on 30 April at Canterbury Crown Court.
 
Border Force 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 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 tobacco which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.

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