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Seven men have been charged in relation to a plot to import £140m worth of cocaine into the UK and to an industrial estate in Wigan.

The drugs, which weighed 1.3 tonnes, were discovered in August last year in a shipping container at the Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk, after they had arrived from Sierra Leone in west Africa.

Police say the class A drugs had a street value of £140m and were hidden in 20kg sacks with a cover load of flour.

They were destined to be delivered to an industrial estate in Wigan.

Inside the container filled with cocaine which was destined for Wigan

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Yesterday, National Crime Agency officers arrested nine suspects and seven have now been charged with conspiring to supply cocaine between February 27, 2020 and November 29, 2023. Two men were released on bail.

Those charged are: Stephen Martland, 68, of Lakeland Gardens, Chorley; Paul Mockett, 49, of Stump Lane, Chorley; Darryn Schofield, 44, of no fixed address; Neil Maguire, 44, of Georgia Close, Bootle, Liverpool; Neil Foley, 45, of Kingsway Avenue, Broughton, Preston; Paul O’Shea, 45, of Edge Lane, Crosby, Liverpool; and Darren Wetton, 55, of Ashby Street, Chorley.

Wetton was also charged with being concerned in the supply of cannabis between December 1 and December 10, 2022.

Four men appeared at Wirral Magistrates’ Court today and three appeared at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court.

They were all remanded into custody apart from Wetton, who was remanded on bail.

They are all scheduled to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on January 3 for the next hearing in proceedings.

Seven men charged over plot to import cocaine worth £140m from Africa to Wigan