Cocaine worth £20m found police in boxes in lorry at Toddington Services on M1

Cocaine with a street value of nearly £20m has been discovered in a lorry stopped by police on the M1.

Detectives searched the vehicle at Toddington Services in Bedfordshire and found 156kg of cocaine packed into cardboard boxes.

Officers from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) arrested two men following the discovery on Tuesday.

The total potential street value of the drugs is estimated to be around £19.2 million.

Det Ch Insp Steve Dowty, from ERSOU, said: “These arrests form part of an investigation into the organised importation of vast amounts of cocaine into the UK.

"Our inquiries are ongoing.

“Clearly this is a significant seizure which will have a real impact on the criminal networks looking to bring these dangerous substances into our communities.

“ERSOU has a wide range of specialist officers and teams working tirelessly throughout the year, and we will continue to ensure that eastern England is a challenging place for organised criminals to operate.”

A 61-year-old Belgian national was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

A short time later a 27-year-old man from London was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs after officers stopped a car in North Finchley.

Investigators searching the vehicle found 36kg of cocaine, also in kilogram-sized blocks.

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