Vladimir Mrdak, 37, initially said he did not know how the drugs ended up in his truck, but eventually pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court on August 16.
The drugs were found during a Border Force search of his Slovakian-registered truck at the Channel Tunnel terminal in Coquelles, France, on July 12. The cocaine packages worth nearly US$4.4 million were hidden among a load of bottle tops and paper rolls.
“The trade in cocaine is synonymous with exploitation and violence, and this seizure would have dented the profits of those who poison our communities by distributing it,” NCA Branch Commander, Mark Howes, said. “Our work with partners like Border Force to pursue the organised criminals behind drugs smuggling will never stop.”