A "corrupt" lorry driver who hid 17kg of cocaine in a bunk bed has been jailed for 12 years.
Yuriy Vasilev, 48, from Pernik, Bulgaria, was caught trying to import nearly £1.4 million of the class A drug into the UK.
Border Force officers discovered blocks of the white powder stuffed into the frame of the bed.
Vasilev claimed he did not know the drugs were in his lorry and that he had never seen them before.
However the National Crime Agency (NCA) found that he owned the transport company which moved goods from Bulgaria to the UK and Germany, and officers believe he used this as a cover to smuggle drugs around Europe.
He was found guilty of attempting to import a class A drug at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday.
Martin Grace, branch commander at the NCA, said: "There is a high criminal demand for cocaine in the UK, and the international organised crime groups who supply it need corrupt lorry drivers like Vasilev to do their dirty work for them.
"Intercepting these drugs directly impacts the groups behind the importations - costing them money, disrupting their activities and damaging their reputation.
"The illicit drug trade is a key driver behind the gang violence and exploitation we see on UK streets, which is why we and our partners are determined to do all we can to stop drugs at source and protect the public."
David Smith, Border Force deputy director, said: "Smugglers will look to exploit any space - in this case the frame of a bunk bed - in an attempt to evade detection.
"It is Border Force's job to be aware of those risk areas in order to stay one step ahead.
"Every year Border Force officers operating at the UK border seize class A drugs worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Working with law enforcement partners like the National Crime Agency we are determined to prevent drug trafficking and to bring those responsible to justice."
