TWO British brothers are among five men charged with importing Class A drugs into the UK after cocaine worth more than £50 million was found on a private jet at Farnborough Airport.

Martin James Neil, aged 48, and Stephen John Neil, 53, both of Bournemouth Road, from Poole, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Wednesday along with Italian national Alessandro Iembo, 28, of Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, and Spanish nationals Victor Franco-Lorenzo, 40, and Jose Ramon Miguelez-Botas, 55.

It comes after Border Force officers carried out checks on an incoming flight from Bogota, Colombia on Monday, January 29 and discovered approximately half a tonne of cocaine hidden in suitcases.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) subsequently launched an investigation and five passengers on board the flight were arrested on suspicion of importing class A drugs.

Three addresses in the Bournemouth area have been searched by the NCA as part of the investigation, and items such as computers and phones seized.

The crew of the plane, which had been chartered from a private company, have been released without charge.

NCA operations manager Siobhan Micklethwaite said: “This is a major seizure of cocaine, one of the largest flown into the UK by plane in many years, and this seizure by Border Force represents a major blow to organised crime.

“We estimate that once cut and sold on the streets in the UK it would have had a potential value in excess of £50 million.

“Our investigations into this attempted importation are continuing.”

?Border Force deputy chief operating officer Mike Stepney added: “Working with law enforcement colleagues like the National Crime Agency we are determined to prevent drug trafficking and bring those responsible to justice.

“This was a significant find made possible by the vigilance of dedicated Border Force officers. They have prevented a substantial quantity of drugs from ending up on our streets and causing untold misery and damage to our communities.

“After meeting the flight and questioning those on board, officers became suspicious and searched the aircraft and their luggage. When opened, each case was found to contain between 34 to 37 tape wrapped packages weighing approximately one kilo each. One of these was pierced and a white powder exposed which tested positive for cocaine.”