An Irish lorry driver who was allegedly found with cocaine and heroin worth over €6.6 million hidden in a lorry full of Belgian chocolates has been charged.
Robert Wilkin, 64, who is an Irish national but lives in Tilbury, Essex, was questioned by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) after his lorry was stopped at the Channel Tunnel terminal last Thursday.
He has since been charged with drug offences.
Wilkin’s Polish-registered truck was carrying a load of Belgian chocolates, which documents showed he was due to deliver to a location in Maidstone, Kent.
But hidden in two pellets of the chocolates, Border Force officers allegedly discovered a large number of drugs inside the packages that were wrapped with tape.
In total, 63 kilos of suspected heroin and 32 kilos of suspected cocaine were seized, which once cut and adulterated would have been worth more than £5.7 million (€6.6m) at street level, the NCA says.
NCA officers later charged Wilkin with attempting to import class A drugs.
He appeared before Folkestone magistrates on August 14 where he was bailed to appear before Canterbury Crown Court on September 13.
NCA Branch Commander Martin Grace said: “This was a significant seizure of class A drugs of the type we see being distributed by violent and exploitative street gangs and county lines networks.
“Working with our law enforcement partners like Border Force we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle the organised crime groups involved in bringing these drugs to the UK.”
