Three men charged after 700kg of suspected cocaine seized in van
Three men have been charged by police after 700kg of suspected cocaine was seized in a van.
Police from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) stopped a van in Priory Road, Southampton, on July 8 where they found the drugs before they were moved to a national secure storage centre. A rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) was also seized as part of the investigation.
As part of a joint investigation with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, 69-year-old Allen Fowler, of Priory Road, Southampton, was charged with participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
Thomas Walker, 32, of Abererch Road, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, Wales, was charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a class A drug.
Stephen Lock, 41, of Fieldhouse Road, Birmingham, was charged with conspiracy to evade the prohibition on the importation of a controlled drug of class A.
They were all remanded in custody to appear at Southampton Crown Court on 8 August.