Suspected cocaine weighing 55kgs and worth £4.4m found in vehicle stopped on M25 motorway

A MAN has been charged with drugs offences after cocaine with an estimated street value of around £4.4 million was seized in a joint investigation involving the National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan Police.

It came after officers from the Organised Crime Partnership, a joint team made up of NCA and Met police officers, stopped a silver Ford Ranger on the M25 between junctions 10 and 11 in Surrey last Friday (16 December).

Two large bags containing 55 kilos of what is believed to be cocaine was discovered inside.

Michael Buttery, 53, was arrested and later charged with drugs offences.

The former company director from 650 miles away in from Kinbrace, Sutherland, in the Highlands of Scotland, appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on Monday (19 December) and was remanded in custody.

He will next appear at Guildford Crown Court on 19 January.

Andrew Tickner, OCP operations manager, said: “This was a significant amount of drugs which have been stopped from reaching the streets as a result of this operation.

“Working with our policing partners we are determined to target and disrupt the organised criminal groups who bring violence and exploitation into our communities.”