Lorry driver charged after £33 million of cocaine found in batch of frozen onion rings

The drugs were found hidden in a consignment of frozen onion rings Credit: NCA

A lorry driver has been charged in a National Crime Agency investigation after a haul of 418 kilos of cocaine was found in a cover load of frozen onion rings.

The Class A drugs which had a street value of £33m were discovered on Thursday evening by Border Force officers when they stopped the lorry at the UK inbound zone in Coquelles, France.

Piotr Perzenowski, 30, of Mazowieckie, Poland, was charged with smuggling Class A drugs.

On Saturday morning he appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court and was remanded to appear at Canterbury Crown Court on 13 December.

NCA Branch Commander Mark Howes said: “This was a really significant amount of drugs taken out of circulation.

“The seizure will deprive the organised crime group responsible for them of profit which would have fuelled more offending.

“Working with our partners such as Border Force we will continue to fight the Class A drugs threat in our mission to protect the public.”