Three people have been arrested over an alleged plot to smuggle more than £10 million pounds worth of cocaine and heroin into the UK by helicopter.
Around 40 kilos of cocaine and 60 kilos of heroin were seized from a car on the M26 in Kent on Thursday following a joint operation by the National Crime Agency and Scotland Yard.
A 38-year-old man from North Kensington was arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to import class A drugs
Later, two Dutch nationals, aged 26 and 27, were arrested at Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey after the pair had flown in on a helicopter from Belgium.
National Crime Agency officers arrested them on suspicion of importation of class A drugs.
All three are being questioned by investigators.
The seized class A drugs are being examined and the helicopter has been impounded.
Gary Fennelly, head of NCA’s Gatwick border investigation team, said: “This international operation has successfully prevented a large quantity of class A drugs making it onto the streets of the UK.
“If cut and sold it is likely this haul would have had a potential street value in excess of £10 million.
“Working with partners like the Metropolitan Police Service we are determined to do all we can to disrupt the organised crime networks involved in drug trafficking.”
