Class A drugs worth at least £3 million has been found stuffed into a secret compartment of a car on its way into Sussex.

Customs officers discovered the haul when they stopped the car after it arrived on a ferry at Newhaven from the Continent.

They searched the vehicle and found 40kg of the class A drug behind a false panel of the BMW's back seat.

A total of 40 packets, each wrapped in silver gaffer tape and containing a kilo of cocaine, were seized during the 11.30pm operation on Sunday.

Customs officers estimate that the cocaine would have a street value of £3 million.

Tests are being carried out to determine the quality of the drugs, which could be worth up to £6 million if it is of high purity.

Businessman Geoffrey Slade, 48, of Staines, Surrey, appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court yesterday morning charged with importing drugs and having cocaine.

He was remanded in custody until a hearing at Brighton Magistrates' Court on July 14.

Carole Upshall, regional director of the UK Border Agency, praised those involved in Sunday night's seizure. She said: "This is another excellent result. We will continue to work with our partners in Revenue and Customs to tackle the smugglers who attempt to bring goods illegally into Britain. "Smugglers are criminals who are only out to make a profit.

"They do not care about the harm caused by smuggling, whether its drugs, dangerous counterfeit cigarettes or illegal immigrants."

Customs spokeswoman Georgina Myles said: "Revenue and Customs, along with the newly formed UK Border Agency, is working at the forefront of the fight to stop drugs entering Britain and to reduce the associated harm to our communities.

"We aim to protect society from this activity wherever we detect it, at the borders or inland."

In the past year, two major smuggling rings have been jailed for bringing large quantities of drugs into Sussex from overseas.

In May, Lorenzo Sirignano and 16 accomplices were jailed for a total of 123 years after they were caught plotting to smuggle cocaine worth £5 million into Brighton and Hove from Brazil and Ghana.

A six-strong gang led by Lubhia Ram and Oscar Salas-Weslke was jailed for 86 years in December 2007 after importing 4kg of almost pure cocaine through the post from Peru.

Anyone with information about smuggling is asked to call Revenue and Customs on 0800 595000.