Three Scots arrested after cocaine haul worth £40m ‘smuggled into UK by boat’

Three Scots have been arrested after a cocaine haul with a value of £40million was allegedly smuggled into the UK on an inflatable boat.

Officers from the National Crime Agency arrested four men after they allegedly attempted to import half a tonne of the class-A drug at around 8.30am on Saturday into Lelley, near Hull, E Yorks.

Early investigations indicate that the drugs had been transferred from a larger vessel sailing off the coast of Hull using a RHIB, before a smaller boat was found abandoned on rocks at Easington Beach.

It follows the seizure of around 500 kilos of cocaine found in the back of a Vauxhall Vivaro van in the car park of the Stags Head Inn in Lelley.

Three men, a 22-year-old from Argyll, a 32-year-old from Oban, a 24-year-old from Campbeltown have been arrested and remain in custody.

A fourth man, a 39-year-old from Colombia, was also arrested.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Alan French said: “This was a significant amount of cocaine and its seizure will be a sizeable blow to the organised crime group which attempted to smuggle it into the UK.

“There’s no doubt these drugs would have been sold into communities around the UK, fuelling further crime and exploitation.

“Working with our law enforcement partners we are determined to do all we can to disrupt criminal activity, and protect the UK’s border security.

“Our investigation continues following these arrests.”