Border Force officers have seized cannabis worth an estimated £30,000 at the Port of Harwich.
The 10kg haul of herbal cannabis was concealed in the spare wheel compartment of a car which arrived on a ferry from Holland on Friday evening.
The investigation has been passed to the National Crime Agency.
Michael Marcel Tak, 26, a Belgian man of no fixed UK address, was charged with the importation of a Class B drug.
Tak appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court yesterday and was remanded in custody.
He is due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on December 1.
Charlotte Mann, Border Force assistant director at the port, said: “I would like to pay tribute to the vigilance and hard work of the officers involved in this seizure.
“We will continue to work hard to keep our borders safe and crack down on drug smuggling.”
Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling can call the Border Force hotline on 0800 59 5000.
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