Ayrshire man locked up in France after alleged drugs find

Feb 5 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A DAD is locked up in a French jail after he was allegedly caught with a multi-million pound drugs haul in the back of his lorry.

Robert Clark, known as Jason, was arrested at Calais after customs officers recovered almost £4 million worth of what is believed to be cocaine and speed in the back of his HGV.

Clark, 38, was driving a refrigerated lorry from the Netherlands to the UK when it was searched at the French side of the Channel Tunnel on December 21.

The load of frozen chips is also thought to have contained 249 kilos of drugs – 206 kilos of cocaine and 43 kilos of amphetamine (speed).

The amphetamine haul is twice as large as the total seized by French customs throughout the whole of 2008.

Two days after his arrest, Clark’s Dalrymple home was meticulously searched by police.

It is believed they did not find anything of significance. But the businessman could face action under the proceeds of crime act if he is eventually convicted.

Clark runs his haulage business, R J Clark and Sons, from the smallholding he shares with his wife and children on the outskirts of Dalrymple.

One villager said: “The house is in the process of being renovated and last year Jason’s wife dismantled her top of the range stables to build bigger and better ones.

“It’s the talk of the steamie. Jason and his family are well known and liked in the village. Nobody can believe it.

“He has about three or four lorries up at the smallholding and employs several people. As well as that, he owns a few properties in Dalrymple.

“Jason has never been in trouble with the police in his life. He seems like a nice guy and he’s done different charity events over the years for Cystic Fibrosis.”

Clark could face at least 10 years in jail if he is found guilty of the charges he faces.

A spokeperson for the British Foreign Office said: “We can confirm that Mr Clark was arrested in France on drugs charges on December 21.

“He has been visited by consular staff and Mr Clark and his family will continue to be provided with consular advice and assistance.”

Clark’s wife refused to comment at the couple’s home on Tuesday morning.