A ST NEOTS man is alleged to have helped smuggle more than �700,000 of cocaine into the UK using a hidden compartment beneath a lorry, a court was told. When the lorry was stopped in East Tilbury, Essex, on March 21 last year, seven kilos of cocaine were

A ST NEOTS man is alleged to have helped smuggle more than �700,000 of cocaine into the UK using a hidden compartment beneath a lorry, a court was told.

When the lorry was stopped in East Tilbury, Essex, on March 21 last year, seven kilos of cocaine were seized.

Peter Gill, 39, of Penrwyn Court, Eynesbury, and Kramer Craft, 29, of Seymour Road, Benfleet, Essex, both deny conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

They are accused of the adapting the lorry and organising the transportation of the drugs following scouting missions to Amsterdam.

Huntingdon Crown Court was told that the drugs had been hidden in a specially-adapted brake cylinder and the lorry brought back into the country by third party driver.

Prosecuting, Bridget Petherbridge said: "There were two cylinders on a lorry that normally has only one."

She said Mr Craft, formerly from Eynesbury, picked up a parcel of cocaine from the driver at Thames Industrial Park, in East Tilbury, but only after a delay.

The driver was due to arrive with the drugs on March 20, but was a day late and Mr Craft had to book into a hotel and meet him the following day.

Miss Petherbridge told the jury that the pair had used the codenames when discussing the drug transportation on mobile phones and referred also to a 'Mr X'.

She added: "Mr Gill and Mr Craft are involved at every turn. Everything we know about the conspiracy to import drugs from the continent starts and finishes with them."

Graham Parkins QC, defending, said Mr Craft had been acting under duress and fear for the safety of himself, his partner and his child. He owes �16,000 to a drug dealer who threatened to kill him and pressured him into drug smuggling.

Lawyers for Gill, claim there is no evidence he was involved.

The case continues.