A lorry driver was jailed for more than 15 years for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth £6 million into the UK through the Port of Hull.
Jaroslaw Kaminski, 52, of Poland, was stopped by Border Force officers in May while travelling from Rotterdam to Hull. In his lorry cab, 75 kg of Class A drugs were hidden beneath a fridge in a secret compartment, the court heard.
On the first day of trial, Kaminski admitted to the crime. The court was told that this was a “sophisticated” operation involving multiple mobile devices, an encrypted messaging system, and cryptocurrency payments.
Kaminski was arrested by police at the port on 15 May after traveling on the Pride of Rotterdam ferry, prosecutor Paul Mitchell said. During the trial, the defendant claimed that it was his first time coming to the UK as a lorry driver and he had a “mixed load” to deliver to Scotland and York.
Mr Mitchell reported that the small fridge was mounted on rails, allowing it to slide forward between the front seats. In a hidden area where the drugs packages were hidden, Kaminski’s fingerprints were found on two plates secured underneath the fridge, the court heard.
Police discovered 75 parcels of cocaine containing about a kilogram of cocaine each, found with the help of a drugs sniffer dog
A prison sentence of 15 years and three months was imposed on Kaminski.
Photo by NCA
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