Nine from North West arrested after 1.3 tonnes of cocaine seized
The drugs are thought to have a street value of £140m
Nine men from the North West have been arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle £140m worth of cocaine through the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk.
The 1.3 tonne haul was discovered last August in a container which had come from Sierra Leone.
The Class A drugs were hidden inside sacks of flour and allegedly were due to be shipped to an industrial estate in Wigan.
Six of the arrests made today are directly linked to the seizure, while a further three men have been detained on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Four of the men were arrested on Merseyside, a further four from Lancashire, with one being arrested in prison.
All remain in custody.
Richie Davies, National Crime Agency Branch Commander, said: “This was a massive haul of cocaine with an estimated street value of £140m.
“There is no doubt these drugs would have been sold on into communities across the UK fuelling violence, exploitation and misery.
“Since the seizure of the drugs the agency has been working intensely to identify and pursue those responsible.”