THREE CHARGED AFTER £10M KETAMINE HAUL FOUND IN PONTEFRACT

West Yorkshire Police has charged three men after officers recovered 500kg of ketamine, with an estimated value of £10m, from a property on Rose Avenue in the Upton area of Pontefract. The force said the drugs were found packed into 20 black bin bags during an operation led by its Regional Organised Crime Unit. Curtis Binns and Paul Turner, both from Upton, and Christopher Willis, from Wolverhampton, face drugs-related charges. Binns has been charged with possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply and with money laundering, while Turner faces a charge of possession with intent to supply. Willis has been charged with supplying a Class B drug. All three were due to appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court, according to the force.

West Yorkshire Police described the seizure as believed to be the second-largest single haul of ketamine recorded in the UK, behind a find worth an estimated £17m made in Merseyside in 2025. Ketamine is used legitimately as a horse tranquiliser but is also misused as a recreational drug. The force said prolonged misuse of the drug can cause serious health problems, including permanent bladder damage that may require lifelong treatment. The seizure and arrests followed the operation carried out by the force's Regional Organised Crime Unit.

The force has not detailed further stages of the investigation beyond confirming the charges and the scheduled court appearance. West Yorkshire Police is inviting the public to contact it with information relevant to policing in the region. No additional arrests or seizures linked to the case have been reported by the force at this stage.