HAULAGE boss Vic Davies told a jury at a drugs court case that he was given almost £300,000 in cash by an Irish business associate.

He said a man called Michael McGee had met up with him to discuss business opportunities in Europe.

Mr McGee had entrusted the cash with him for safe-keeping, rather than in a bank, while he went on holiday for four weeks, Bolton Crown Court was told.

The cash was subsequently seized by Dover customs officers when Davies's driver, Michael Hatton, tried to take it abroad in carrier bags.

Davies, and Hatton and mechanic Thomas Bradley, both from Bolton, are accused of smuggling £1 million worth of cocaine and heroin in a lorry airtank, and of attempting to money launder the proceeds of drug smuggling, which they deny.

Davies, aged 48, of Stratton Drive, Platt Bridge, Wigan; Bradley, aged 37, of Knightswood, Deane; and Hatton, aged 38, of Thistleton Road, Deane; are jointly accused of being knowingly involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of goods. They denied the offence.

Davies has also pleaded not guilty to two further charges of attempting to conceal the proceeds of his drug trafficking. Hatton denies two charges of knowing or suspecting that a quantity of banknotes were the proceeds of drug trafficking and attempting to remove them to assist another person to avoid prosecution.

The jury heard how a secret compartment in an articulated lorry was used to allegedly smuggle 17 kilos of cocaine and heroin from Europe to the UK.

The court was told that Customs officers co-operated with Belgian police in tracking the lorry across several countries.

(Proceeding)