An HGV driver who tried to smuggle £2.9m worth of cocaine into the UK in a lorry carrying a consignment of Lego has been jailed.
Uzbekistan national Feruz Kadirov, 43, was jailed following a National Crime Agency investigation, which led to the discovery of 35kg of cocaine hidden in his vehicle.
Kadirov was stopped by Border Force officers on 17 July this year as his HGV arrived at the Eastern Docks in Dover after travelling from Belgium.
Inside was a legitimate consignment of 50 pallets of Lego due to be delivered to a shop in Corby, Northamptonshire.
Officers found 20 1kg blocks of the Class A drug hidden under the mattress in Kadirov’s bunk, and 15 more behind the outer fridge motor.
He admitted smuggling Class A drugs and was jailed last week for nine years and nine months at Canterbury Crown Court.
NCA operations manager Tracey Gasson said: “Through the brilliant detection work by Border Force and the NCA investigation, we have removed Kadirov who was a crucial member of his organised crime group (OCG).
“Removing and destroying the drugs also deprives the OCG of profits which cannot now be put back into other criminal conspiracies.
“Greed is at the absolute centre of these offences. Drugs gangs don’t care at all about the horrific effect they have on our communities and the lives they wreck.”
