UK driver in cocaine case is freed
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• Pat Ballanger, the Kent lorry driver held in Trieste prison under suspicion of drugs offences, has been released.
However, the Italian authorities are investigating any involvement by his employer Memtrans—a Turkish-owned freight company with a site in Gravesend.
Memtrans has*said that the earlier release of its UK transport manager, Peter Tester, is testimony to the company's innocence. Tester went out to help Ballanger when he was first held in October but was held in solitary confinement for three weeks. Memtrans adds that it did not own the trailer.
ortythree -yea rold Ballanger was released after magistrates decided there was too little evidence to detain him. He is said to be "very happy" at the release but his health is thought to have suffered during his two-month ordeal.
Ballanger was held when he met his trailer off the ferry at Trieste after flying in from Istanbul: £3.5m worth of cocaine was found hidden inside.