CUSTOMS FOIL FERRY SMUGGLERS FOR ECSTASY HAUL

SMUGGLERS who were about to sell 100,000 Ecstasy tablets in Liverpool were
foiled by Customs officers who tracked a seaman working on a North Sea ferry.

Henry Morgan, 38, was seen to leave the port of Felixstowe on a cycle after
disembarking from the P&O ferry European Freeway which had arrived from
Holland. Strapped to his body was a large quantity of the tablets,
Chelmsford Crown Court was told yesterday.

Morgan handed the tablets over to Kevin O'Leary, 40, who was said to be the
mastermind behind the smuggling. When Customs officers arrested the men
they recovered 100,000 Ecstasy tablets with an estimated street value of
pounds 1.1 million.

The undercover Customs operation, codenamed Dapple, involved officers from
Manchester and East Anglia. Morgan was jailed for 13 years and O'Leary,
received 10 years. A third man, David Law, 40, involved in the
transportation of the drugs, was also jailed for 10 years. All had
Liverpool addresses.

Peter Hollier, senior investigation officer, said after the hearing:
"Morgan used a traditional method of smuggling not once but three times
within three days strapping vast quantities of drugs to his body. "Customs
officers have prevented an enormous amount of Class A drugs hitting the
streets and consequently stopping those responsible from making a great
deal of money."