A JURY trying three men accused of a £1 million drug smuggling and money laundering operation, is expected to consider its verdicts early next week.

Lorry driver Michael Hatton, aged 38, of Thistleton Road, Bolton, mechanic Thomas Bradley, aged 37, of Knightswood, Bolton, and their boss Victor Davies, aged 48, of Stratton Road, Platt Bridge, Wigan, are accused of smuggling £1million worth of cocaine and heroin in a lorry airtank and of attempting to money launder the proceeds of drug smuggling.

At Bolton Crown Court they have denied being knowingly involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of goods.

Davies has also denied two charges of attempting to remove from the jurisdiction the proceeds of his drug trafficking.

Hatton denies two charges of knowing or suspecting that a quantity of banknotes were the proceeds of drug trafficking and attempting to remove them to assist another person to avoid prosecution.

The jury heard how a secret compartment in an articulated lorry was used to allegedly smuggle 17 kilos of 100 per cent pure cocaine and heroin from Europe to the UK.

The lorry was tracked across several countries by customs officers.

The three were arrested at Vic Davies Transport at Knowsley Industrial Estate, Liverpool.

(Proceeding)

A JURY trying three men accused of a £1 million drug smuggling and money laundering operation, is expected to consider its verdicts early next week.

Lorry driver Michael Hatton, aged 38, of Thistleton Road, Bolton; mechanic Thomas Bradley, aged 37, of Knightswood, Bolton; and their boss Victor Davies, aged 48, of Stratton Road, Platt Bridge, Wigan, are accused of smuggling £1million worth of cocaine and heroin in a lorry airtank and of attempting to money launder the proceeds of drug smuggling.

At Bolton Crown Court they have denied being knowingly involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of goods.

Davies has also denied two charges of attempting to remove from the jurisdiction the proceeds of his drug trafficking. Hatton denies two charges of knowing or suspecting that a quantity of banknotes were the proceeds of drug trafficking and attempting to remove them to assist another person to avoid prosecution.

The jury was tolda secret compartment in an articulated lorry was used to allegedly smuggle 17 kilos of 100 per cent pure cocaine and heroin from Europe to the UK, it was alleged.

The lorry was tracked across several countries by customs officers. The three were arrested at Vic Davies Transport at Knowsley Industrial Estate, Liverpool.

(Proceeding)