WATCH: Peterborough trio jailed after hiding cocaine in Lonely Planet travel books

Police said that Troy Batchelor, Luke Mills and James Kulesza used the books with tampered covers to hide cocaine that was destined to travel to the other side of the world.

They have now all been jailed for more than two years each following an investigation by the police’s Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).

12 kilos of drugs prevented from leaving UK

Police said that the investigation prevented more than 12kg of Class A drugs from leaving UK shores.

Bodycam footage captured the moment the men were arrested and bundles of books were found in outbuildings.

ERSOU said that investigators identified illicit consignments being dispatched from several locations across Peterborough and Stamford in 2025.

A spokesperson for ERSOU said that by working with colleagues from Border Force, four suspicious shipments were identified and confirmed as books with cocaine hidden inside.

The police said that Enquiries established an additional three parcels had reached Australia, where customs teams seized further drugs.

Police said that Batchelor, Mills and Kulesza were arrested during simultaneous search warrants on March 20 last year

Items seized during the searches included an extendable baton and a firearm.

Several mobile phones were also recovered, which provided further clues and led officers to an address in Blackbush Drove, Whittlesey.

Outbuildings and commercial units were searched and police said that a further 8.8kg of cocaine was discovered by officers

Guilty pleas entered by trio at Cambridge Crown Court

All three suspects were charged and went on to enter pleas at Cambridge Crown Court.

Batchelor, 49, of Peterborough Road, Whittlesey, and Mills, 46, of Lincoln Road, Peterborough both admitted to being concerned in evading the prohibition on exportation of cocaine.

On Friday 6 February 2026, Batchelor was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and Mills was jailed for four years.

Kulesza, 46, of Warwick Road, Peterborough pleaded guilty to a separate charge, of participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group. He was sentenced to two years and a month.

“This case demonstrates the considerable lengths to which criminal gangs will pursue to mask their activities and move harmful Class A drugs across international borders"

Detective Sergeant James Paget of ERSOU’s Regional Organised Crime Unit welcomed the sentences handed out at court,

He said: “This case demonstrates the considerable lengths to which criminal gangs will pursue to mask their activities and move harmful Class A drugs across international borders.

"Through meticulous investigative work and close collaboration with our partners, we were able to intercept these consignments and prevent a substantial quantity of cocaine from reaching Australia.

“While the individuals were convicted for their roles in exporting drugs, our wider investigation also identified links to drug importation activity, highlighting the broader criminal capabilities of this organised crime group.

"Disrupting networks such as this remains a priority, and these sentences reflect our determination to hold those involved in the supply of drugs to account."