Two lorry drivers are facing charges related to drug offenses following the seizure of 104 kilos of cannabis in England. The National Crime Agency (NCA) conducted investigations into a suspected crime network based in Northern Ireland, leading to these arrests.
Kirk Hackett, 30, from Dungannon, was apprehended after his lorry was stopped near Doncaster on May 3rd. Officers discovered 73 kilos of cannabis hidden in a compartment within the trailer’s floor.
In a separate incident on May 4th at Killingholme Port in North Lincolnshire, Serghei Bacaianov, a 41-year-old from Bulgaria residing in the Republic of Ireland, was arrested. The lorry, arriving from the Hook of Holland with a load of fresh chicken, concealed 31 kilos of cannabis beneath its floor.
The combined value of the seizures amounts to £2 million. Both individuals were charged and scheduled to appear in court. Hackett was set to appear at Doncaster Magistrates Court on May 7th, facing charges of possession with intent to supply. Bacaianov was due to appear at Grimsby Magistrates Court the same day, charged with drug importation.
Additionally, as part of the ongoing investigation, two men were arrested in County Armagh, and two houses were searched with the assistance of PSNI officers. Cash amounting to £30,000 and a Rolex watch were seized. Those arrested were questioned by NCA officers and released on bail pending further inquiries.
David Cunningham, NCA Belfast Branch Commander, emphasized the significance of disrupting the network’s smuggling activities and affirmed continued collaboration with law enforcement partners to combat organized crime within the haulage industry.
