25-year-old man from Hartlepool is one of eight men and women held over allegations linked to the trafficking of 20 tonnes of cocaine and cannabis.

The suspects are accused of using ‘paper’ companies as a front for drug smuggling.It is also alleged they employed business service centres across the UK to unwittingly receive packages of uncut cocaine and cannabis on their behalf.The arrests come after detectives from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) raided properties across the UK.Alongside the arrest in Hartlepool, four arrests were made in Greater Manchester, two in Hampshire and one in Grimsby after a SOCA investigation identified connections between several drugs seizures by police in the UK and Spain.The suspects have been taken to Greater Manchester for interview, where SOCA is being supported by Greater Manchester Police.They face charges of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs between February 2007 and March 2010.