Key Points
- Guergief Cvetko Batschef, 62, of Osborne Road, Enfield, London, has been charged after 200kg of cocaine was found in Birkenhead.
- The Ford Transit van which came from Belfast was intercepted at 12 Quays Terminal around 7.20am on Sunday, 11 October.
- According to police, they discovered the drugs following a search of the vehicle.
- Batschef is charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine, a Class A controlled drug, and acquiring, using, and possession of criminal property.
- Detective Chief Inspector Gary Stratton confirmed that the case investigation is still ongoing and requested anyone with information about drug dealing in their communities to come forward.
Birkenhead Crime (Liverpool standard) October 12, 2026 – A 62-year-old man has been charged after officers seized 200kg of cocaine from a Ford Transit van at the 12 Quays terminal in Birkenhead. The van had arrived from Belfast and was stopped at about 7.20am on Sunday, 11 October, police said.
Inverted-pyramid report: The charge follows a police search of the vehicle at the terminal. Merseyside Police said officers seized the drugs after searching inside the van. The Wirral Globe also reported that a 62-year-old man had been charged in connection with the seizure.
The seizure took place at 12 Quays, a ferry terminal in Birkenhead. The police account identifies the vehicle as a Ford Transit and says it had arrived from Belfast before officers stopped it. The reported time was approximately 7.20am.
The available reporting does not state where the cocaine was found inside the van, how it was packaged, or whether officers recovered anything else during the search. It also does not give a value for the drugs. Those details should not be inferred from the quantity alone.
What is known about the charge?
The reports establish that a 62-year-old man has been charged, but the information available does not specify the precise offence or offences. They do not name him, describe the evidence beyond the seizure, or say whether he has appeared in court. No plea, bail decision or next hearing is included in the reports reviewed for this article.
A charge is a formal allegation, not a finding of guilt. The circumstances and any evidence presented in court would be considered through the legal process. Until a case is heard and determined, the defendant’s guilt has not been established.
Merseyside Police’s account provides the core operational details: the date and approximate time of the stop, the van’s arrival from Belfast, the location and the amount of cocaine seized. The Wirral Globe’s report adds the man’s age. Neither report provides further details about the investigation or court proceedings.
The distinction matters because the publicly reported facts are limited. The seizure and charge are confirmed in the reports, but information such as the man’s identity, the alleged role of others, or the intended destination of the drugs has not been provided. No connection to a wider criminal network can be stated on the basis of these reports.
Why is the seizure significant?
The reported quantity is 200kg, seized from a vehicle arriving at a terminal. That establishes the scale of the drugs recovered in this incident, but the reports do not provide an official assessment of their street value or explain how the seizure may relate to broader supply activity.
Nor do the reports say whether the van or its journey had previously been under investigation, whether the stop followed intelligence, or whether further arrests are expected. Without confirmation from police or court documents, those questions remain unanswered.
For residents and people travelling through Birkenhead, the confirmed details concern a police stop and search at 12 Quays on 11 October. The reports do not describe any disruption to the public, changes to terminal operations or continuing safety concerns connected with the incident.
What happens next?
No future hearing date is specified in the reports reviewed. Further information may come through police updates or court reporting, but the circumstances of the alleged offence and the progress of the case remain unclear.
The police announcement and the Wirral Globe report provide a concise account rather than a full chronology of the investigation. Any further coverage should distinguish confirmed facts from allegations and update the story if court proceedings or additional official information become available.
Background
The incident concerns a vehicle stopped at Birkenhead’s 12 Quays terminal after arriving from Belfast. Merseyside Police reported that officers searched the Ford Transit and seized 200kg of cocaine. The police account and the Wirral Globe report identify the same date, location and quantity; the newspaper report states that the man charged was 62.
The reports do not give wider background on the investigation, the suspected route of the drugs beyond the van’s arrival from Belfast, or any alleged destination. They also do not name the defendant or detail the specific charge. This background therefore reflects only the information in the published reports, rather than assumptions about the case.
What could this mean for Birkenhead residents?
For Birkenhead residents, the confirmed development is that police seized a substantial quantity of cocaine from a van at the 12 Quays terminal and charged a 62-year-old man. The reports do not indicate that the public faces a specific ongoing risk or that terminal services have been affected.
The case may lead to further local updates if court proceedings or additional police information become public. At present, the possible wider impact on residents or the local area cannot be assessed from the available reporting.
