Heathrow baggage handlers among 11 arrested over drug smuggling ring
The massive operation follows large seizures of cocaine and cannabis at Heathrow Airport in the past 15 months.
Thursday 15 December 2016 10:44, UK
Three baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport were among 11 people arrested over a suspected drug smuggling ring.
Ten men - aged between 26 and 60 - and a 24-year-old woman were held on suspicion of conspiring to import class A drugs following raids across London and southeast England on Wednesday.
Around 125 investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and officers from the Metropolitan Police and Border Force were involved, following drug seizures at the airport over the last 15 months.
David Reynders, senior investigating officer at the NCA, said: "Large scale drug smuggling through UK airports is high risk for organised criminals.
"Today's operation was co-ordinated to strike simultaneously at as many parts of the suspected drugs ring as possible.
"The NCA is grateful for the support and co-operation of the airport authorities and Border Force, all of whom have a vested interest in protecting the security of our borders."
Around 100kg of cocaine and 50kg of cannabis has been seized at Heathrow Airport.
Images released by the NCA showed arrests at an address in Stoke Newington, northwest London, where three men and the woman were detained.
The other arrests included a 40-year-old man in Banstead, Surrey; a 51-year-old man from Grays, Essex; men aged 31, 42 and 54 in Tooting and Thornton Heath, south London, and Hayes in west London.
A 60-year-old man was detained in a raid in Chigwell, Epping Forest, and a 40-year-old man from Slough was arrested near Heathrow.