The men, identified as Mariglen Bajraktari (20) and Romario Vukzaj (23) recovered around “16 kilos of cocaine from a refrigerated container which had arrived from Belize on May 1,” according to NCA.
The two were charged with the “possession and importation of a class A drug,” and were remanded in custody until they are set to appear before the Basildon Crown Court on June 3.
The NCA said it reacted after port workers spotted them and informed the port police about it.
“We always encourage port workers to alert us to any suspicious activity that they see in the course of their duties,” NCA Branch Commander Jacque Beer said.
He stressed that in this case the port workers’ vigilance “led to the seizure of a substantial amount of cocaine.”