A 66-YEAR-OLD man from Broughton Hackett, near Worcester, is among seven people charged in connection with a major conspiracy to import drugs into the UK.

Robert Scott has been charged with conspiracy to import class A drugs and money laundering after police arrested 10 people on Wednesday morning on suspicion of being part of an operation to smuggle cannabis, amphetamines and MDMA into the country.

The other six people charged are:

  • Robert Whitehouse, aged 67, of Dusthouse Lane, Finstall, near Bromsgrove. Charged with conspiracy to import class A and class B drugs and money laundering.
  • Nigel Powell, aged 51, of Hom Green near Ross-on-Wye. Charged with conspiracy to import class A and class B drugs.
  • Anthony Powell, aged 23, of Whittington Walk, Newent. Charged with conspiracy to supply and import class A and B drugs.
  • Stephen James Jones, aged 54, of Broad Street, Ross-on-Wye. Charged with conspiracy to supply class B drugs.
  • Richard Andrew Dale, aged 50, of Brownhills, near Walsall. Charged with conspiracy to supply and import class A and B drugs.
  • Peter Hillback, aged 41, of Charles Close, Cheslyn Hay in Walsall. Charged with conspiracy to import and supply class A drugs.

Dutch national Jacobus Samson was also arrested in the town of Beek in The Netherlands and is helping Dutch and German authorities with their inquiries into the conspiracy.

Two women aged 54 and 66 from Worcestershire were also arrested on suspicion of money laundering and have been released on bail pending further inquiries.

A 42-year-old man from Cheltenham arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to import and supply class A and class B drugs has also been released on bail.

All those charged will appear tomorrow morning at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.