11.5kg of cocaine found in car-boot on M6 in Cumbria

A 39-year-old man has been arrested

Mark McAvoy has been charged following the stop
Author: Natalia AntoniwPublished 2nd Jan 2026

A 39-year-old man has been arrested after police officers found 11.5kg of cocaine in his car-boot.

His car was stopped by officers on the M6 near Shap on New Year's Eve.

They found a cardboard box in the boot filled with ten wrapped bricks and two bags of cocaine.

37g of suspected heroin was also found.

Mark McAvoy has been charged with two counts of possession of Class A drugs.

He's been remanded to appear before Carlisle Crown Court on 30th January 2026.

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