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Watch the Moment Police Find Huge Amount of Cocaine Hidden Inside Wheels of Cheese

  • On Friday, 15 men were jailed at Leeds Crown Court for their roles in the "largest criminal enterprise" dismantled by West Yorkshire Police, which smuggled 4.5 tonnes of cocaine worth more than £450 million into England hidden in cheese, chocolate spread, and fish mince.
  • The force launched the investigation after seizing £2 million worth of cocaine and ecstasy in Leeds during 2023, uncovering a sophisticated network that imported 123,568kg of cheese to Dover between December 2022 and April 2023.
  • Syndicate leader Saleem Chaudhri agreed to supply more than 2,000kg of cocaine worth over £70 million between September 2022 and May 2023, using so-called "cartel stamps" before switching to chocolate spread and fish mince after police raids.
  • Convicted conspirators have been jailed for a combined 196 years for distributing up to £1.4bn worth of cocaine, with the network relying on "lieutenants" like Lewis Ockenden to manage regional distribution hubs.
  • Det Insp Kevin Daly explained that tackling "sophisticated" gangs remains a constant challenge, noting "to a certain extent we take out one and another will try and repopulate" the criminal infrastructure.
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BBC News broke the news in London, United Kingdom on Friday, October 30, 2026.
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