Dumbarton man charged with smuggling £120,000 worth of cocaine

Jul 10 2009 Lennox Herald (main ed)

A DUMBARTON man has appeared in court after Border officials at Dover found three kilos of cocaine hidden in a BMW car last week.

Stephen Atyeo was held on suspicion of smuggling the class A drug – which has a street value of £120,000 – into the country.

The 44-year-old, of Hawthornhill Road, was charged after officers stopped the BMW at Dover’s Eastern Docks last Tuesday.

During a search of the vehicle, which had arrived from Calais in France, officers discovered packages of cocaine hidden in air vents.

Following the detection, the case was passed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigation officers to continue enquiries.

Atyeo appeared in court last Thursday, withheld his plea and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear at Canterbury Crown Court on August 30 for a committal hearing.

Malcolm Bragg, HMRC assistant director for criminal investigation, said: “Our priority, in partnership with the UKBA, is to prevent illegal drugs from entering the UK. We will continue to protect our communities from the violence and corruption that always accompanies this dangerous trade. Anyone with information about drugs smuggling should call our 24 hour hotline on 0800 59 5000.”