A smuggling lorry driver who hid nearly half a million pounds worth of cocaine in a shipment of frozen potatoes has been jailed

Bryan Hughes, 30, was driving an HGV when he was stopped at the UK inbound border in Coquelles, France, on 16 October last year.

He claimed to Border Force officials he had been to Tilburg in the Netherlands and was going to the North West of England to deliver the food.

But when officers searched the cab, eight kilos of cocaine was found inside baggage and in a locker.

National Crime Agency experts estimated the drugs would be worth £480,000 at street level.

He was sentenced to seven years and six months at the same court yesterday (February 4).

Mark Howes, NCA Branch Commander, said: “This quantity of cocaine would generate significant revenue on UK streets, so this seizure will cause a dent in the profits of the organised crime group it was destined for.

“Criminal groups use smugglers like Hughes to bring their drugs into the UK and our message to anyone tempted to try and make what they may consider easy money through smuggling is that you will be caught.

“We work closely with our partners, including Border Force, to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the UK and will continue to prosecute those involved.”

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