Police are still working to identify a man who is feared to have walked off with a quantity of high-purity cocaine after it washed up on the Isle of Wight coast at the weekend.
Millions of pounds worth of Class A drugs washed ashore in the South Wight on Saturday morning, prompting litter pickers who discovered the haul to call Police.
A major search was soon launched involving Police, WightSAR, HM Coastguard and Border Force officials. The National Police Air Service helicopter was scrambled alongside a Coastguard spotter plane in the hope of finding further bundles of drugs, as previously reported by Island Echo.
On Saturday night, Police said they wanted to speak to everyone in the vicinity of the find that morning, including a man described as being in his 60s. Island Echo understands that witnesses have described seeing a male walk off with some of the drugs, which has led Police to become concerned for his safety.
The individual, who is described as being of slim build, around 5ft 6ins tall and with short grey hair, is still unidentified. He is said to have a distinctive birthmark on the right side of his mouth.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has been asked whether there are concerns for the male’s safety and whether he is thought to be in possession of cocaine. In response, the force has said:
“We are looking to ensure we have spoken with all who were there when the holdalls washed up”.
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Further packages containing cocaine were located on Sunday morning, prompting additional searches along the coast. There have been no new finds today (Monday).
It’s understood that Armed Police kept guard over the drugs before they were taken off the Island. Although unconfirmed, reports suggest they were taken in convoy to Cowes late on Sunday night.
It’s said that overall hundreds of kilos of cocaine have been discovered, with the initial find made off the Dorset coast last Monday (2nd October). A fisherman came across several bags at sea near Purbeck, but it has not been disclosed at this time as to how the bags came to be in the water. The National Crime Agency says that the drugs will have come from South America.
Island Echo has asked the National Crime Agency for a weight and an estimated value for the drugs found both here and in Dorset, but a response is yet to be received.
Anyone who locates any suspicious packages should call 999.
Hes probably having the best time of his life or bought a house or ferrari
He won’t be the only one after police alerted every druggie and possibly the dealers who lost in first place where to find, expect never had so many dog walkers on beaches along this coast.
“concerns for the male’s safety”
A haul of hundreds of kilos worth millions?
I need to invest some time in early morning litter picking…… and a large van for that matter.
Finders keepers fair play to you, hope you have a lovely retirement on your find
I can see a nice new beard being grown ready for” Movember”
To be sure to be sure the birthmark near his mouth how long has he had this?
Hehehe, very subtle
Or, maybe, the police are lying to track this guy down. Too late now, they will bang him up for taking it, if he did. He needs to stay hidden. Maybe dump it of at local cop shop at night when they are all indoors hiding from their work. In the hope the heat on him will vanish.
Seems a bit like “Whisky Galore “
Didn’t the fast show do a spoof of that based on heroin galore?
Good luck to ya’, great find at this time of year. 🙂
It was rammed at Compton and beyond on Sunday and I thought it was just the nice weather attracting everyone!!
How did they let it slip through their fingers? All that police ‘intelligence’ farcical really. Like a carry on movie. Ooopps