A man who claimed he was on a day trip to France but was actually picking up £800,000 of heroin from Amsterdam has been jailed.

Daniel Whereatt, 48, was stopped at Dover's Eastern Docks on March 18, 2019, as he returned to the UK from his trip.

The 48-year-old claimed he was visiting Dunkirk, when he was actually picking up six kilos of heroin from Holland, a National Crime Agency investigation uncovered.

As he returned to the UK, via Kent, his car was searched by Border Force officers after they noticed a strong smell of fuel inside the vehicle.

The lining and cushions of the car’s back sears were removed and 18 tape-wrapped packages filled with a brown powder were found submerged inside the petrol tanks.

National Crime Agency officers tested the powder and six kilos were found to be heroin with a street value of £800,000.

A further two kilos were found to contain paracetamol and caffeine, which are common cutting agents for the drug.

Whereatt, from Bristol, told NCA officers he had been in Dunkirk for the day, sleeping in his car before returning home to the UK.

His DNA was also discovered on a screwdriver and metal file found next to the tanks where the drugs were found.

On January 4, Whereatt pleaded guilty to importing the heroin and he was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday to six years in prison.

Mark Howes, Branch Commander at the NCA, said: “This was an attempt to bring potentially lethal drugs into the UK and generate hundreds of thousands of pounds from their supply to vulnerable people.

“Whereatt had only insured the vehicle for two days and we believe this was solely for the purpose of picking up the heroin in Amsterdam and bringing it back to his contacts at home.

“Heroin is a very dangerous drug and brings with it exploitation and violence. We will continue our work with Border Force and other partners to target smugglers like Whereatt and bring them to justice.”