The first part of an extraordinary two-part special about the importation of huge quantities of Class A drugs, focusing on the work of covert detectives from the Eastern Region Special Operation Unit. A consignment weighing more than 100 kilos has been intercepted while being imported into the UK from Europe. To reveal who is behind this, an undercover operation is authorised to closely monitor the shipment, using audio and visual equipment, as it travels to its final destination at a farm in rural Hertfordshire. The detectives believe that the consignment is one of 39 deliveries that are part of a conspiracy to flood the streets with Class A drugs worth £58 million. The criminals are using cutting edge technology to organise the shipment. The covert team get a lucky break and gain access to messages being sent on specialist Encro encrypted phones. The men behind the conspiracy believe these phones can never be accessed by the authorities and their messages give away a vital clue – their leader is working under the code name ‘Jaguar Palace’. In the first episode, cameras follow every twist and turn of the investigation to establish the identity of Jaguar Palace and the criminal network behind the biggest ever importation of class A drugs into the eastern region of the UK. This is real-life drama where the facts turn out to be more compelling than fiction.
24 Hours in Police Custody: The Home County Cartel – Monday 10pm on Channel 4
