A 49-year-old man from Lewisham has been charged with importing Class A drugs after 30kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of more than £2 million, was seized from a private aircraft at an Essex airfield.

Errol Weir, of Shifford Path, Lewisham, and Anastasios Balian, 52, of Milton Court, Cheshunt, were arrested on Thursday, March 20 after Border Force officers stopped and searched a plane arriving into North Weald Airfield, near Epping Forest.

During the inspection, officers discovered bundles of cocaine hidden beneath a seat, triggering a joint investigation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Both suspects were taken into custody and have since been charged with importing Class A drugs. They are due to appear before Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today (March 22).

Significant Seizure and Disruption of Criminal Networks

Images released by the NCA show tightly wrapped packages of drugs, highlighting the scale of the bust.

Paul Orchard, NCA branch operations manager, said:

“This was a significant quantity of cocaine with a likely street value in excess of £2 million. In making this seizure, we have denied the profits of that to those involved, and prevented them from being used for further criminality.
Working with colleagues at Border Force, we are determined to protect the public and disrupt the criminal networks bringing narcotics into the UK.”

He added a call to action for public vigilance:

“Anyone who lives or works near a small airfield should report suspicious activity to the police.”

Border Force Commitment to Tackling Drug Crime

A Home Office spokesperson praised the outcome, stating:

“Border Force seized and prevented 30kg of cocaine from causing harm on our streets and are fully committed to disrupting the criminal networks behind this trade.
We continue to work closely with law enforcement partners, including the NCA, to keep our borders secure.”

The investigation remains ongoing, with further inquiries underway into the criminal operation behind the attempted smuggling.