BA confirms cocaine arrest story

British Airways has confirmed that a senior employee has been arrested and questioned by police regarding an alleged plan to smuggle a huge amount of cocaine through Heathrow airport. According to a report in The Independent newspaper, the man was among a group of six people arrested on Tuesday after raids by police and customs officers. The group was suspected of planning to bring in 200 kilos of cocaine, worth GBP13 million, through the west London airport. A spokesman for Surrey Police reportedly told the newspaper that the man was based in the airport’s Terminal 4 but he had access to “all parts of the airport”. The Independent states that one man has been released, but that four men and a woman, including the British Airways worker, were still in custody. BA’s director of safety, security and risk management, Geoff Want, reportedly told the newspaper that his department was glad to have helped in the operation. He added: “It is in the interest of all of us to keep criminal gangs off the streets.” A spokesman this morning confirmed to News From Abroad that an employee had been arrested.