Two men arrested after nearly £20 million of cocaine is seized by police near Luton

Two men have been arrested after vehicles containing nearly £20million worth of cocaine were stopped near Luton.

Shortly after 2.30pm on Tuesday, officers stopped a lorry at Toddington Services on the M1.

Detectives searching the trailer uncovered 156kg of cocaine in kilogramme blocks, packed into cardboard boxes.

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 (cocaine) after officers stopped a car in North Finchley.

Investigators searching the vehicle found 36 kilogrammes of cocaine, also in kilogramme-sized blocks.

Both men were taken into custody for questioning.

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

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Dowty said: “These arrests form part of an investigation into the organised importation of vast amounts of cocaine into the UK. Our enquiries 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.”

Anyone with information about suspected organised crime in Bedfordshire can find more information on the Bedfordshire Police website, including the signs to spot and where to report concerns.