A huge drugs haul was seized by police who intercepted three vans at a Kent industrial park.

Around half a tonne of cannabis and five kilos of cocaine believed to be destined for London and the north of England was found when the vehicles were searched.

The discovery was the result of a surveillance operation by the National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan Police.

Officers stopped the vehicles near a unit within the Willesborough Road Industrial Estate in Ashford on Thursday.

Six men were arrested and have since been charged with drugs offences.

Freddie Koen, 49, from Rotterdam, and Danny Filius, 45, from Hoogvliet, were charged with conspiracies to supply cocaine and cannabis.

The other four, Colin Marks, 48, of Brompton Road, Manchester, Shakeel Quyam, 29, of Cark Road, Bradford, Chris Gilder, 34, of Almorah Road, Islington, and Grant Langley, 23, of Victoria Avenue, Uxbridge, were charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis.

All six men appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Saturday and were remanded in custody until their next court appearance at Blackfriars Crown Court on November 20.

Vince Philpott, from the NCA and Met Police's Middle Market Drugs Partnership said: "The National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan Police will continue to intercept drug shipments to keep our towns and cities safe."

The MMDP brings together officers from the National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police Service to protect the communities from the harms inflicted by drug dealing.

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