Four arrested after $83m worth of cocaine found in UK carpark

Police have arrested three men from Scotland and a Colombian as the haul of cocaine was found in van. Photo / Getty Images

Four men have been arrested after £40 million ($83m) of cocaine was found in a van at a village pub carpark in Britain.

About 500kg of the drug was discovered in the back of a van in the carpark in Lelley, East Yorkshire, the National Crime Agency said.

Officers believe a few hours before the haul was found it had been transferred to shore in a rigid-hulled inflatable boat travelling from a larger vessel off the Hull coast.

The boat was abandoned at Easington Beach, the agency added.

The beach is about 30km from the Stags Head Inn in Lelley, where the drugs “with a potential street value of around £40 million” were found.

A 22-year-old from Argyll, a 32-year-old from Oban and a 24-year-old from Campbeltown, all in Scotland, were arrested in Lelley, as well as a 39-year-old from Colombia, the agency added.

Senior investigating officer Alan French said: “This was a significant amount of cocaine and its seizure will be a sizeable blow to the organised crime group which attempted to smuggle it into the UK”.

“There’s no doubt these drugs would have been sold into communities around the UK, fuelling further crime and exploitation.

“Working with our law enforcement partners we are determined to do all we can to disrupt criminal activity, and protect the UK’s border security.

“Our investigation continues following these arrests.”

The agency’s operation was supported by Humberside Police, the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit and the Border Force.