£1.2m drug raid on P&O cruise liner

12 April 2012

Illegal drugs valued at £1.2m have been seized during a raid on a cruise liner, customs officials said.

Seven people were arrested during the raid on the P&O ship Arcadia in Southampton.

Four of those arrested had a total of 30 kilos of cocaine strapped to their bodies, it was discovered.

The raid took place in the early hours of Sunday morning, a spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said.

The seven people arrested are from Birmingham and Manchester. They are currently in custody. No-one has yet been charged.

None of the seven detained were crew members.

HMRC Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation Peter Avery said: "Drugs devastate lives and communities and we are determined to prevent them reaching UK streets.

"Our investigations will not only focus on those transporting the cocaine, but also those that finance and mastermind this illegal trade."

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