Cannabis and ecstasy with an estimated value of £220,000 has been seized.

A man has now been charged with trying to smuggle 16 kilos of drugs into Britain through Dover.

Border Force officers at the Eastern Docks found 4kg of MDMA, 2kg of cannabis resin, 10kg of herbal cannabis and a syringe of liquid cannabis within a pallet containing metal radiator parts after searching a Polish-registered Renault van last Thursday.

Paul Morgan, Director of Border Force South East and Europe said: “Seizures like this demonstrate the vital work Border Force officers are doing on the front line to keep Class A, and other drugs, off the streets of the UK.

“Every year Border Force officers operating at the UK border seize Class A drugs worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

"Working with law enforcement partners like the NCA we are determined to prevent drug trafficking and to bring those responsible to justice.”

Polish national Robert Kowalik, 49, was arrested and the investigation passed to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

He was later charged with the attempted drugs importation.

Kowalik appeared before Canterbury Magistrates Court on Saturday, where he was remanded in custody until he appears at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, February 16.

Border Force officers use hi-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.

They use an array of search techniques including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners - as well as visual searches.

These are to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and tobacco which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling is urged to call the hotline on 0800 59 5000.