THIRSK: A Londoner has appeared in court charged with importing class A drugs after cocaine worth more than £1 million was seized from a light aircraft at a remote Yorkshire airfield.
Dean Ash, from Acton, was arrested at Bagby Airfield near Thirsk, in north Yorkshire.
Border Force officers met the light aircraft when it landed from the Netherlands, and found around seven kilos of cocaine on board.
The drugs were seized and the investigation was handed to the National Crime Agency.
Ash, 38, appeared in Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where he was remanded in custody to appear before Leeds Crown Court on November 3.
Paul Tallentire, from the NCA’s north east border investigation team, said: “This was a substantial seizure of cocaine which if cut and sold in the UK would have had a likely potential street value in excess of £1 million.
“Our investigation into this attempted importation is ongoing and I would urge anyone with information regarding suspicious movements in or around UK airfields to get in touch, either by calling the police on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
“Working with law enforcement partners like Border Force and North Yorkshire Police, we are determined to do all we can to prevent small airfields being used for criminal purposes.”
Mark Robinson, assistant director of Border Force Yorkshire & Humber, added: “By thwarting this smuggling attempt we have stopped a sizeable amount of cocaine making it onto the streets of the UK.
“Seizures like this demonstrate how Border Force officers are at the forefront of the fight to keep illegal drugs and other banned substances out of the country.”
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