A £1,500 stash of what is believed to be cocaine was discovered in a car during a routine police road check.

A 34-year-old was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs after the haul was discovered at the service area of Junction 8 (Leeds Castle/ Hollingbourne) on the M20.

A 26-year-old man from Lithuania was arrested on suspicion of producing a false identity card and a 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst disqualified.

More than 1,000 vehicles were read by the ANPR cameras and of those, 100 vehicles were stopped and checked throughout the course of the day.

PC Warren Jarvis, traffic co-ordinator for Maidstone police, said: “We’re delighted by the results we’ve had from today’s road check operation, which illustrates our determination to work proactively, not only to make our roads safer, but also to enforce our efforts to tackle drug-related crime.

"It is also intended to show drivers a high visibility police presence and to convey the message that police in Mid Kent will not tolerate crime or anti-social behaviour in the area.

"By bringing together enforcement agencies to tackle everything from serious crime to vehicle licensing, we have been making the most of the opportunity to maximise the impact of this operation and our results go to prove this.”

Vehicles stopped as part of the operation were marshalled to an off-road area to ensure minimal disruption to traffic.