AN appeal to identify a mystery man wanted in connection with the seizure of £12million of cocaine has been made by National Crime Agency investigators.

Forty-five kilos of cocaine were discovered smuggled inside packs of paprika in the Port of Rotterdam in August 2012.

Investigators watched as ‘dummy’ sacks were delivered via Tilbury Docks in Essex to a yard at the Liverpool Docks.

The unidentified man, who the National Crime Agency believe could be from Merseyside, Lancashire or Greater Manchester, was spotted unloading a lorry containing the sacks in Liverpool.

Six other men from Bolton, Liverpool and Manchester were arrested and charged yesterday with conspiracy to import cocaine.

Four of the men were also charged with a conspiracy relating to a seizure in April 2013 when two kilos of cocaine in boxes of milk powder were sent to a virtual office in Bradford.

Greg Mckenna, NCA Branch Commander, said: "Joint working with West Yorkshire Police has prevented a huge amount of cocaine reaching the streets and causing terrible damage to our communities.

"Now we need the help of the public to identify and locate the man at Liverpool Docks. There will be people who may know who he is and I am asking those people to come forward and provide us with as much information as possible.”

Anyone with information can contact the NCA on 0370 496 7622 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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The six men charged with conspiracy to import cocaine are Salim Patel, aged 32, of Armadale Road, Bolton; John Sherry, aged 65, of Cedar Grove, Maghull, Liverpool; Faizal Nanlawala, aged 29, of Bolton Road, Bolton; Kabir Master, aged 31, of Sephton Lane, Horwich, Bolton; Imran Aya, aged 32, of Dinsdale Drive, Bolton; and Sohail Khojani, aged 31, of Elsmore Road, Fallowfield, Manchester. Patel, Nanlawala, Aya and Khojani were also charged with the conspiracy relating to the Bradford seizure.

All six appeared at Manchester City Magistrates Court this afternoon and were released on conditional bail until 29 August when they will appear at Manchester Crown Court.