Men charged with cocaine smuggling

Six men have been charged after £12m worth of cocaine was discovered in a lorry at a motorway service station.

Investigators had moved on a Spanish-registered lorry at the South Mimms service station on the M25 in Hertfordshire, on Wednesday.

The vehicle had arrived in the UK via Portsmouth, according to customs officials.

The six appeared at Staines Magistrates' Court in west London on Friday.

They were charged with smuggling cocaine under the Customs and Excise Management Act.

Brian Williams, of Bow, east London, and Pedro Jose Costa, 22, from Rotherhithe, south-east London, were remanded in custody until 25 October.

Three Spanish men, in their 30s, from Pontevedra and a 32-year-old Spanish man from Salceda de Caselas were also remanded until the same date.