AMSTERDAM: A drugs haul with an estimated street value of £8m was seized after a swoop by Border officers at the Port of Tyne.
About 1.3 tonnes of cannabis resin was found during a search of a lorry arriving at the North Shields port from Amsterdam.
After intercepting the lorry, which had arrived on a sailing from Ijmuiden carrying crates of bark, Border Force officers boarded the vehicle and carried out a search.
Several hundred packages of cannabis resin and herbal cannabis were discovered within the load.A 35-year-old man from the Netherlands was arrested and has been bailed pending further inquiries.
Following the seizure by Border Force, an investigation is being carried out by officers from the National Crime Agency’s Border Policing Command.
Christina Brown, Assistant Director Border Force North East Command said: “Cannabis and other illegal drugs are known to be linked with serious and organised crime which has a devastating impact on our communities.
This seizure by our officers means a significant quantity of drugs has failed to reach the streets and demonstrates Border Force’s commitment to keeping them out of the UK.”