A 46-YEAR-OLD man has been charged by police after a van stopped on the M6 in Cheshire was found to be carrying around £5 million worth of class A drugs.

At around midday on Saturday, September 3, motorway officers stopped a Ford Transit van near Sandbach (junction 17).

Police discovered 75 kilos of suspected class A drugs were found in blocks in a hide in the rear of the vehicle. 

A man was arrested on suspicion of drug supply and taken to a police station for questioning.

Peter Melia, of Ballantyne Road in Liverpool, has since been charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

He appeared at Wirral Adult Remand Court this morning, Monday, September 5.

Detective chief inspector Paul Speight, Merseyside Police, said: "This was a huge seizure of drugs worth in the region of £5 million, which will now be subject to a full investigation.

“To prevent such an amount of drugs from reaching the streets will remove a great deal of harm from our communities and beyond.

"We will continue to respond to all incidents and information to target those we suspect of being involved in serious and organised crime.

“Arrests and seizures continue to made on a daily basis, both as a response to recent murders, and our commitment to tackling organised crime across Merseyside.

“If you have any information on storage and supply of drugs, firearms and other weapons, come forward and we will take action."