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An international law enforcement investigation has resulted in one of the largest ever seizures of heroin in the UK.

National Crime Agency (NCA) intelligence had identified a container vessel suspected of carrying a large drugs shipment en route to Antwerp, Belgium.

398 kilograms of heroin removed

The vessel docked in Felixstowe on 1 August. The following day, officers from Border Force and the NCA removed a container in which approximately 398 kilograms of heroin was concealed within a cover load of towels and bathrobes.

The heroin was removed and the container returned to the vessel, which carried on to the port of Antwerp.

On arrival, the container was collected by lorry and taken to Rotterdam – all the time under police surveillance. On 5 August, as suspects took steps to unload the contents, Dutch Police moved in and made two arrests.

The NCA simultaneously arrested a man from Bromsgrove who is currently being questioned by NCA officers.

The drugs would be worth at least £9m to organised criminals selling the whole consignment at wholesale, and at least £40m at street level in the UK and other European countries.

International partnership against crime

NCA Regional Operations Manager, Colin Williams, said:

The seizure of such a large quantity of heroin is the result of a targeted, intelligence-led investigation, carried out by the NCA with international and UK partners.

It is almost certain that some of these drugs would have been sold in the UK, fueling violence and exploitation including what we see in county lines offending nationwide.

The heroin trade also feeds addictions that put users’ lives at risk, while giving rise to crime such as theft which make people feel unsafe in their communities.

The NCA works in the UK and with partners around the world to target the crime groups posing the greatest threat to the UK.

Mark Kennedy, Border Force Deputy Director, said:

Border Force officers operate on the front line, working every day to keep dangerous Class A drugs like this off the UK’s streets.

Substantial seizures like this help to keep communities safe and hit the organised crime groups involved in the international drugs trade hard.

The UK jobs market remains resilient, as statistics out today (13 August 2019) show the number of people in work is at a record high of 32.8 million, a rise of over 3.7 million since 2010.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics also show the UK workforce is more gender diverse than ever before, with the number of women climbing to a new record high and ethnic minority employment rate at a near record high, now making up 51% and 32% of employment growth respectively since 2010.

Sectors such as manufacturing and construction are experiencing the big increase in number of jobs, with 85,000 more people employed in the last year.

Wages are also on the up this month outstripping inflation for a 17th month, boosting consumer confidence and spending power for millions – with real term total wage growth hitting 1.8%.

Meanwhile UK unemployment rate remains steady at 3.9% – as the number of unemployed people continues fall in every region of the UK since 2010.

Today’s statistics also show the number of disabled people in work increasing by 1.15 million in the last 6 years – and an increase of 246,000 disabled people in employment in the last year.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Minister for Women and Equalities, Amber Rudd said:

More people in work than ever before means more households across the UK are earning a regular income, and millions more receiving a pay boost thanks to wages rising at their fastest in a decade – outstripping inflation for a 17th month in a row.

Our workforce increasingly reflects our vibrant society, with a record number of women in employment while the number out of work falls to an all-time low.

This week many young people will receive their A level results and begin their career journey. They should know that they are entering a workforce that is flourishing and full of opportunity and I hope all young people, especially women, feel empowered to flourish in every role in every sector.

The government is helping even more people benefit from a well-paid job by:

• backing businesses to create good jobs with the modern Industrial Strategy – including strengthening workers’ rights, and tightening the rules for big businesses
• investing in infrastructure, training and apprenticeships we need for our future, with public investment at its highest in 40 years
• introducing Universal Credit – better supporting people move into work faster and stay in it longer
• supporting employers to recruit, re-train and retain older workers to stay in work longer with our Fuller Working Lives strategy
• tackling employment inequalities with targeted support in 20 UK regions and £90 million to help support young people

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