Smugglers sentenced after hiding £8m cocaine in foie gras

Four men, including brothers Michael and Matthew Keating, have been sentenced for their involvement in an elaborate drug smuggling operation that attempted to import £8 million worth of cocaine hidden beneath a cargo of foie gras and duck breasts. The scheme was uncovered in November 2019 when Border Force officers stopped their van at the port of Newhaven, East Sussex, revealing 97 kilograms of cocaine concealed under a false floor. Michael Keating, who orchestrated the operation using the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat, received a 24-year sentence, while his brother Matthew was sentenced to 7.5 years for his role in planning an additional drug importation. Tanvir Hussain and Jean-Pierre Labelle also received lengthy prison sentences for their involvement. The National Crime Agency praised the Border Force for their vigilance in detecting the unusual cover load that led to the arrests.