Over three days this week, officers in the UK and in the Netherlands arrested the eight men and one woman in connection with the importation of drugs worth around £12million.

The alleged offences took place over a twelve month period from June 2016 to June 2017.

NCA officers were assisted by Dutch police colleagues in the latest stage of this long-running international operation.
The first seven arrests took place in the West Midlands and the Netherlands.

Early morning on Tuesday 14th August, NCA officers made five arrests of four men and one woman in the Birmingham and Tipton areas of the West Midlands.

They were all arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to import Class A drugs and taken into custody. All four men were later charged, whilst the woman was bailed pending further enquiries.

Simultaneous arrests of two other men were made in Rotterdam in the Netherlands by Dutch police working with the NCA. The two Dutch nationals, aged 30 and 33, were arrested on a European Arrest Warrant, and extradition procedures will now commence for the pair to face drugs charges in the UK.

On Thursday, 16th August, two men from Birmingham were also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to import Class A drugs. They were later bailed.

Colin Williams, NCA Operations Manager, said: “Working with our partners overseas is essential in the National Crime Agency’s fight against drug trafficking. It allows us to co-ordinate operations, and sharing our intelligence enables us to tackle the threat that illegal drugs have on our communities, protecting the public both in the UK and in mainland Europe.

“These latest arrests have disrupted this organised gang intent on smuggling drugs estimated at £12 million into the UK and this success is a result of the excellent relationship the NCA has with our partners in the Netherlands.”