Press release

Over £1 million drugs seizure made at Midlands postal depot

Border Force officers have seized 18 packages of illegal drugs in Tamworth.

Cannabis packages

Cannabis, amphetamines and ectasy with a potential street value of over £1.6 million have been seized by Border Force officers at a parcel depot in Tamworth.

Officers discovered the drugs over 2 days in 18 separate parcels. The drugs were hidden in plastic and cardboard boxes.

Phillip Holliday, Border Force Regional Director, said:

It is thanks to the vigilance and expertise of Border Force officers that this attempt to smuggle a large amount of drugs into the country has been stopped.

By making this seizure, estimated to be worth more than £1.6 million, our officers have prevented a substantial quantity of illegal drugs from ending up on the streets of the UK and put a serious dent in the profits of the criminals involved in this type of smuggling.

The seizure was made by Border Force on 21 and 22 December 2015 and investigations by the National Crime Agency are continuing.

Border Force officers are the front line in protecting the country and play an important role in detecting illegal immigration, disrupting serious and organised crime and helping to prevent the threat of terrorism. Border Force also protects the UK’s revenue, contributing to the nation’s prosperity and growth.

They use an array of search techniques including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners - as well as visual searches - to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and tobacco which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.

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

Published 18 January 2016