Two directors of a fresh-produce company have been released on bail unconditionally pending drugs trafficking investigations following a dawn raid at their firm’s premises. Philip Maddocks, joint director of PDM Produce Ltd and Jupiter Marketing Ltd and joint director of Jupiter Marketing Ltd, Mark Tweddle are co-operating fully with the Serious Organised Crime Agency and local police enquiries into a serious crime in South America, Jupiter Marketing said in a statement.

“As importers of fresh produce from Brazil, Jupiter Marketing Ltd was targeted to help police with their investigations and the company was very happy to help,” said Mark Tweddle, md of Jupiter Marketing Ltd. “The help and understanding of our customers and staff has been superb throughout…We hope our positive and speedy co-operation will help police to charge the offenders and eliminate our company from their enquiries as soon as possible. We categorically deny any involvement with drug shipments entering the UK and look to the industry to support our highly respected reputation.”

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) said the operation on August 22 is part of a joint investigation involving law enforcement agencies in the Netherlands and South America as well as the UK. “This follows the seizure on August 18 of a large quantity of class A drugs at a farm near Montevideo, Uruguay” said a spokeswoman for Soca.

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