Miriam Margolyes’ home was once used as a drug den to keep millions of pounds worth of cocaine from police.
The picturesque cottage, which was owned by the Harry Potter star, 82, became the centre of a foiled plot by several drug lords. The cosy home was used as a drop-off point for helicopters carrying narcotics in the hopes of smuggling cocaine into the country.
Margolyes’ home in Dover was rather secluded, and had often been described as the closest house in the UK to France. However, back in 2019, the home became a signal for something much more nefarious, as a gang from Merseyside used the house as a base to pick up their drugs from Belgium.
READ MORE: Potty-mouthed Harry Potter star certain she was first person to swear on British TV
READ MORE: Join the Daily Star Soaps WhatsApp for all the latest spoilers and exclusives
Having bought the stockpile in bulk, the drug gang would then offload the drugs across the country to smaller organised crime groups in the North East. Thankfully, Margolyes was not actually in the house at the time of the drop-off.
(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
The house, named Gun Emplacement Cottage, sits atop the White Cliffs of Dover, looking across the Channel to see France on a clear day. Having been built by the military in 1910, Miriam had used the house as a summer getaway for 40 years, making some money on the side by renting it out as a holiday home.
But between December 2015 and April 2016, the house was one of two that had been hijacked by drug barons to store £1million worth of class-A drugs. Following a police investigation, some 12 members of the Merseyside-based clan had been arrested and charged in connection with the illegal import.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
As well as this, officers also discovered £70k stashed in an Audi glove compartment that was hidden and could only be opened through the cigarette lighter. It was later discovered the gang had hired a man by the name of Steven Maddocks to launder the money as part of his bank wages.
The group of men, who were from the Wirral, were sentenced back in 2019 at Liverpool Crown Court, after having been busted for their roles in bringing 500 kilograms of cocaine into the UK, with an estimated wholesale value of £17.25million. In total, the men received jail sentences that reached over 100 years.
(Image: Liverpool Echo/NCA)
At the time, Judge Sophie McKone who was presiding over the case said that the group of lads had done it as a way to “cynically reap the rewards”, whilst causing pain and suffering to thousands of people. In her sentencing, she remarked: “You did all this out of greed. It is selfishness beyond contemplation.”
Following the sentencings, the group of men continue to remain in prison. Actress Miriam has not given a statement regarding the situation.
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
