Man jailed after cocaine seized
The incident happened in 2018
A member of an organised crime group has been jailed for 18 years for his involvement in an attempt to import cocaine worth ÂŁ9.2 million into the north east.
37 year old Polish national Lucasz Sienkiewicz, was arrested after being linked to a seizure at The Port of Tyne, North Shields, in October 2018.
Reporting restrictions on the case were lifted on Thursday after a jury could not reach a majority verdict in the re-trial of the lorry driver.
Sienkiewicz was convicted by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court on 8 July last year for attempting to import cocaine, and sentenced to 18 years imprisonment at the same court on 7 November.
NCA Branch Commander Julie Booker said:
“Sienkiewicz was part of an organised crime network trafficking cocaine into the UK and distributing it across the north east of England.
“The NCA is determined to protect the public from the global trade in illegal drugs, which fuels violence, intimidation and exploitation in communities throughout the UK.
“We work in partnership with Border Force at ports and airports to target and disrupt the likes of Sienkiewicz, who play a crucial role in the criminal supply chain.”
Kieren Hamilton, Assistant Director, Border Force North, said:
“Drug supply chains are violent and exploitative, degrading neighbourhoods across our country.
“The highly professional Border Force officers deployed at the Port of Tyne in North Shields identified this significant quantity of class A drugs as a result of dedicated operational activity, and utilising in depth search skills to detect a sophisticated concealment.
“The close collaboration between Border Force and NCA colleagues allowed them to develop this detection to an extended investigation which has culminated in the two successful convictions.”