Man arrested at airport over cocaine conspiracy
- Published
Cocaine with a street value of about £19.4m was found in a coach
A 45-year-old man from North Ayrshire has been arrested by officers investigating an attempt to import almost a quarter of tonne of cocaine.
The man, from Irvine, was detained by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers as he stepped off a flight from Spain at Glasgow Prestwick airport on Saturday.
The NCA said he was questioned at Carlisle police station before being released under investigation.
Two men have already been jailed for their role in the crime.
At Canterbury Crown Court in July Mark Tucker, from Blackburn, was jailed for 16 years and and Christopher Bullows, from St Helens, was sentenced to 14 years and four months.
The pair were stopped on an otherwise empty passenger coach at Dover docks in September 2020.
A search by UK Border Force uncovered the cocaine hidden in a specially constructed wastewater tank.
The NCA said the drugs would have been worth about £19.4m if sold on the streets of the UK.
Branch Commander Mark McCormack said: "This was a significant amount of cocaine and our investigation into this smuggling attempt continues."