22/08/2003

Four charged over £4m drugs find

Four people were charged yesterday with attempting to import £4 million worth of cocaine and cannabis into the UK.

John Clement Whyte (44), of Oberstein Road, Battersea, south London, Sophia Kokkinos (52), of Chelsham House, Chelsham Road, London, Paul Anthony Morgan (41), of Ferris Road, East Dulwich, London, and Vivian Doyle (23), of Angus House, Clapham Park Estate, London, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates Court yesterday.

The four were among 10 people who were arrested on August 19 at a lock-up in Battersea, south London, following the discovery of 52kgs of cocaine and 345kgs of cannabis. The drugs, with a combined street value of over £4 million, were concealed within a consignment of yams that arrived at Portsmouth Docks on Monday August 11 from Jamaica.

The six other people arrested have been bailed to appear at Battersea Police Station in five weeks.

Peter Pearman, Assistant Chief Investigation Officer, said: "This was the culmination of an intensive operation involving teams of Customs officers from across the south coast. The successful outcome of this operation has stopped a large quantity of drugs reaching the UK's streets."

All 10 are currently being questioned by Customs officers and investigations are continuing.

(gmcg)

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