A MAN who was arrested after he was seen loading boxes of cocaine with a street value of up to £6 million from the back of a lorry into his car in Colchester has claimed he was acting under duress.

Giving evidence during his trial at Ipswich Crown Court, Neranjan Persaud claimed threats had been made against him and his family by the gang behind the importation.

Cross-examined by prosecution counsel Gareth Hughes, Persaud denied the claim of duress was a “pre-planned story” and he was part of the criminal gang.

Persaud insisted he had only been a courier acting under instruction and wasn’t higher up in the organisation.

Gazette: Police action - a lorry involved in the incident is prepared to be towedPolice action - a lorry involved in the incident is prepared to be towed (Image: Newsquest)

Persaud, 60, of London and lorry driver Kryzstof Bakowski, 63, of no fixed address, have pleaded not guilty to being knowingly involved in the illegal importation of 50kg of cocaine on December 7 last year.

They have also both denied being concerned in the supply of 50kg of cocaine and Persaud has denied being concerned in the supply of just under one kilo of cocaine on November 30 last year.

It has been alleged police saw Persaud park his car in Newcomen Way, Colchester at about 8am on December 7 last year and speak to Bakowski who was the driver of an articulated lorry which had stopped nearby.

Gazette: Swoop - police at the sceneSwoop - police at the scene (Image: Newsquest)

Persaud was seen to carry five identical cardboard boxes to his car from the back of the lorry before police intervened and arrested him and Bakowski.

The court heard the boxes of drugs contained 50 one kilo packages of high-quality cocaine with a wholesale value of £1.3 to £1.5 million and a potential street value of between £4 and £6 million.

Mr Hughes alleged a week before his arrest in Colchester, Persaud had delivered a carrier bag containing one kilo of cocaine to a man in Letchworth.

The trail continues.