Border Force officers have seized liquid cocaine worth £2.3 million at Dover’s Eastern Docks.

On Friday, February 26, officers at the inward tourist controls found 50 litres of liquid cocaine when they stopped a Dutch-registered van.

After questioning the driver, the vehicle was searched and the drugs were discovered in four jerry cans within the vehicle’s bodywork.

A field test on the liquid in the cans gave a positive result to cocaine.

Further searches also found eight MDMA (ecstasy) tablets in the vehicle.

Robert William Albert Schutte, a 45 year-old Dutch national, was arrested and the investigation passed to the National Crime Agency.

He was later charged with the attempted importation and appeared before Margate Magistrates Court on Monday, February 29, where he withheld his plea.

Schutte was remanded in custody and will appear at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday, March 29.

Paul Morgan, director of Border Force South East and Europe said: “Every year Border Force officers seize Class A drugs worth hundreds of million of pounds. Working with law enforcement colleagues like the NCA we are determined to prevent drug trafficking and put those responsible behind bars.

“This is another example of how our officers have prevented dangerous class A drugs from ending up on the streets of the UK.”

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