The lorry arrived in Hull on a ferry from the Netherlands when eagle-eyed Border Force officials became suspicious of the fuel tank
Ivaylo Ivanov has been jailed(Image: National Crime Agency)
A lorry driver smuggled a hidden haul of 95kg of high-purity cocaine – potentially worth £7.6m on the streets – into Hull Docks, making use of a secret compartment in the vehicle’s fuel tank. The lorry arrived on a ferry from the Netherlands but the crafty hiding place was discovered after eagle-eyed Border Force officers suddenly spotted suspicious-looking spray paint and smeared mud that had been used to try to disguise the fact that the fuel tank had been adapted.
The tank was taken out and 95 blocks of cocaine were discovered inside, Hull Crown Court heard. Ivaylo Ivanov, 53, from Bulgaria, but recently in custody on remand, admitted fraudulently evading the prohibition on importing cocaine, in Hull on November 21.
Rachel Scott, prosecuting, said that Ivanov was driving a lorry and a trailer when he arrived on a ferry from the Netherlands at King George Dock, Hull, at 8.30am. Border Force officers noticed that mud had been smeared on the side of the lorry’s fuel tank, which had been spray-painted silver.
The vehicle was selected for further inspection and Ivanov was questioned about the load being carried. He told officers that he was carrying plastics for a company in the Netherlands. Documents showed that the consignment was due to be delivered to an address in Leicester.
“He denied carrying any contraband,” said Miss Scott. “The Border Force officer could see, from looking into the fuel tank, that it had been tampered with and something was concealed inside.”
Ivanov was arrested. The fuel tank was removed from the lorry using tools and machinery. Access to it was from the back and this was not visible with the naked eye from the front.
The rear of the fuel tank had been spray-painted and smeared with mud to hide the fact that work had been done to the tank. A self-contained compartment was found that was separated from the fuel itself and it was designed to carry items inside it without being detected.
It was not visible from the outside. “The fuel tank had to removed for the hatch to be accessed,” said Miss Scott. “A number of screwed-on plates had to be removed for officers to access the space.”
Officers removed 95 parcels from the self-contained space, each of them containing a 1kg block of pressed white powder – cocaine. Two of them were tested and found to be of 82 per cent purity.
Tools were found in the cab unit and these matched those used to access the concealed space. Protective gloves and spray paint, matching that on the fuel tank, were found. Officers also found screws matching those found in the hidden area.
No other contraband was found in the lorry’s load. The 95kg of cocaine had an estimated wholesale value of £1.7m and a possible street value of £7.6m. It was likely, however, because of the large amounts, to have been sold wholesale, not at street level.
Drivers often received payments of £2,000 per kilo transported so it was possible that Ivanov might have been paid or promised £190,000, although it was not known what any payment arrangement there actually was, the court heard. No evidence of drugs was found on Ivanov’s personal phone but a second phone had not been analysed.
Ivanov claimed during interview that the lorry was new to him and that he picked it up in Madrid before driving to Barcelona, then Belgium and Germany, where he collected the consignment of plastic. “He denied noticing anything unusual about the fuel tank,” said Miss Scott.
“He clearly had some awareness of the scale of the operation. He was in possession of the tools to gain access to the load of cocaine. There was an expectation of significant financial or other advantage.”
There was some forensic evidence to link him to the hidden area. Ivanov had no previous convictions for drugs, although he had minor international convictions.
Matthew Radstone, mitigating, said that there was no evidence that Ivanov had the knowledge or tools to extract or remove any of the drugs from the secret area. He was a courier and such people were the ones who took the greatest risk, not those higher up the chain.
There was “no idea” about the identities of those who were higher up the chain. Ivanov was a “humble, hardworking lorry driver” from Bulgaria. He had a wife, two daughters and a son.
“He has worked driving lorries for the majority of his working life,” said Mr Radstone. “He is desperate to go back home so he can see his family, one way or another.”
Ivanov was jailed for 12 years.