Customs swoop on record pounds 20m heroin stash

Customs & Excise investigators yesterday uncovered a pounds 20m stash of heroin in north London, after a two-month undercover operation.

The drugs haul, the largest-ever in this country, was stored in an industrial unit in Hornsey, and two men were arrested as they arrived to take it away. The 250kg of heroin was hidden in two boxes used to import clothing from abroad. A Customs & Excise spokesman said the haul was a customs record; the previous record had involved 200kg of the drug, worth pounds 16m, seized last year. He said: "This is a clear demonstration that our methods are winning the war against drugs trafficking."

Two Turkish nationals living in London were being interviewed by investigators.