Men charged after UK’s second largest ketamine haul found in Upton

Three men have been charged after police seized what is believed to be the UK’s second-largest haul of ketamine.

West Yorkshire Police said 500kg (1,102lb) of the drug, worth an estimated £10m, was found at a property on Rose Avenue in the the Upton area of Pontefract. The largest find was worth an estimated £17m and was found in Merseyside in 2025.

The force said 20 black bin bags were found during the West Yorkshire operation, led by the Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Curtis Binns, 32, Paul Turner, 40, both from Upton and Christopher Willis, 42, from Wolverhampton, have been charged with drugs offences and are due to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court later.

Police said Binns, 32, of Sunny Avenue, had been charged with possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply and money laundering.

Turner, of Common Lane, had been charged with possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply while Willis had been charged with supplying a Class B drug.

Ketamine is commonly used as a horse tranquiliser.

When abused, the drug can cause serious health problems including permanent bladder damage that can require lifelong treatment.