A search by Border Force uncovered the cocaine hidden in a specially constructed wastewater tank on the coach

Two men who tried to smuggle 243 kilos of cocaine into the UK on an empty passenger coach are now facing long prison sentences.

St Helens man Christopher Bullows was driving the coach when it was stopped and searched by Border Force officers at Dover Docks in September last year.

Border Force, who are responsible for UK customs controls, found 243 kilos of cocaine worth around £19.4 million hidden in a specially constructed wastewater tank.

Bullows, 50, of Lord Street, St Helens, told National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators that he had taken the coach to Belgium so that the air conditioning system, which was under warranty there, could be repaired. He said that Tucker was a friend and had come along ‘for the jolly’.

Mark Tucker, 53, of Longshaw Street, Blackburn, said he was a mechanic and had joined Bullows on the trip to check on the repairs.

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