North East Man Jailed 17 Years Importing £120m Cocaine in Artificial Grass

Peter Lamb, a 66-year-old man from Gateshead, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for importing approximately 1.5 tonnes of cocaine worth around £120 million concealed inside rolls of artificial grass. Over the course of about a year, Lamb established two cover companies and made multiple trips to mainland Europe, primarily the Netherlands, to facilitate these shipments, which were stored in warehouses in Newcastle and Stockton. Customs officials in the Netherlands intercepted two consignments containing significant quantities of cocaine hidden in secret compartments within artificial grass rolls, and National Crime Agency (NCA) officers found evidence of 18 previous shipments with similar concealments. Most of the artificial grass was never sold, serving solely as a front for drug smuggling. The NCA highlighted the unusual method of concealment and emphasized their commitment to disrupting such criminal operations. This case is part of a broader context where the UK is seeing large seizures of cocaine, including a recent £96 million haul at London Gateway port, underscoring ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime.