A LORRY driver has been charged following the seizure of cocaine and heroin that had been hidden among a shipment of chocolate.
The drugs, weighing almost 100kg, had a street value of almost £6million.
Robert Wilkin, 64, an Irish national now living near Tilbury in Essex, will appear before Canterbury Crown Court on September 13.
Hidden load
WIlkin was questioned by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) after his lorry was stopped at the Coquelles Channel Tunnel terminal on August 12.
His Polish-registered truck was carrying a load of Belgian chocolates, which documents showed he was due to deliver to a location in Maidstone, Kent.
However Border Force officers discovered tape wrapped packages hidden in two pallets of the chocolates.
In total 63kg of heroin and 32kg of cocaine were seized, which once cut and adulterated would have been worth more than £5.7million at street level.
NCA officers later charged Wilkin with attempting to import class A drugs.
He appeared before Folkestone magistrates on August 14 before being bailed.
‘Significant seizure’
NCA Branch Commander Martin Grace said: “This was a significant seizure of class A drugs of the type we see being distributed by violent and exploitative street gangs and county lines networks.
“Working with our law enforcement partners like Border Force we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle the organised crime groups involved in bringing these drugs to the UK.”
