Opium weighing approximately seven and a half pounds has been seized by Border Agency officers at Dover.

The seizure was made last Wednesday (21 September) when officers discovered the drugs, with an estimated street value of £50,000, hidden in an Iranian-registered lorry at the inward freight controls at Dover's eastern docks.

A 34-year-old man from Leeds has been bailed while enquiries into the attempted importation continue.

Carole Upshall, director, south coast ports, UK Border Agency, said: "This is an excellent example of how UK Border Agency officers work tirelessly to detect and prevent drugs from being smuggled into the UK.

"We are determined to prevent this terrible trade which can have such a destructive impact on the lives of so many."

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©