The HGV, which had previously come into the UK from Dover, was stopped in an operation involving officers from the National Crime Agency and South Yorkshire Police on the A1 near Doncaster on Friday 8 November.

Two men from Lanarkshire in Scotland were arrested and the lorry was taken to Liverpool where specialist Border Force officers conducted a search and discovered the cocaine, which if cut and sold would have had an estimated street value of around £600,000.

A further search of commercial premises in the Shotts area of Lanarkshire by officers from the NCA and Police Scotland uncovered around 100 cannabis plants.

The men, Jamie Gardiner, 32, of Erskine Way, Shotts, and James Graham, 32, of Polkemmet Drive, Harthill, were later charged with attempting to import drugs.

They appeared before Doncaster Magistrates on Monday 11 November where they were remanded in custody, to appear before Sheffield Crown Court on 25 November.

A third man, a 51-year-old from Liverpool, was also arrested in connection with the investigation, he was bailed pending further enquiries.

Steve Baldwin, Regional Head of Investigations for the NCA, said: “Working with South Yorkshire Police, Police Scotland and Border Force we have prevented a substantial quantity of illegal drugs from making it onto the streets. Our investigations continue.”