A Border Force agent has been arrested by police investigating a crime ring suspected of smuggling drugs and firearms into the UK.
The officer, a 36-year-old man from near Dover, was one of four British nationals detained by French police near Calais on Friday morning, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA).
French officers seized around 34 kilos of cocaine and seven kilos of heroin, while eleven firearms - including nine handguns and two revolvers - were also recovered, alongside magazines and suppressers.
All four Brits remain in custody in France.
Meanwhile, a further eight men were arrested by Met Police in Kent on Friday, six of whom have been charged with conspiracy to import firearms and class A drugs and have been remanded in custody.
They are set to appear in Barkingside Magistrates Court on October 9. The remaining two men were released under investigation.
Officers from the NCA’s anti-corruption unit also carried out searches in Folkestone and Dover as part of the operation.
The investigation is being carried out by the agency in partnership with the Met Police, the UK Home Office and the French National Police.
Dave Hucker, head of the NCA’s anti-corruption unit, said: “This operation has brought together law enforcement from both sides of the Channel, and we believe we have prevented the importation of a significant quantity of class A drugs and firearms to the UK.
“Our investigation is ongoing, both in the UK and in France.”