Four more men have been charged and a further arrest has been made after more than 700kg of suspected cocaine were seized from a boat on the River Itchen.

Steven Lawlor, 40, of Stratford Road in Birmingham; Daniel Bowen, 38, of Mayswood Road in Solihull and Mohammed Ishfaq, 34, of Kearsley Road in Manchester have all been charged with conspiracy to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of Class A controlled drugs. 

Ishfaq has also been charged with being concerned in the supply of a Class A controlled drug.

All men have been remanded in custody.

On Thursday, a fourth man, Sean Feenan, 42, of no fixed abode, was charged with conspiracy to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of Class A controlled drugs. 

He was remanded in custody and was due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

READ MORE: 'Organised crime' arrests after class A drugs seized from boat on River Itchen

Furthermore, officers have also arrested a 38-year-old man from Manchester in connection with this investigation and he remains in custody.

It comes after an incident on July 8 this year that saw police board a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) on the River Itchen. 

During this, 735kg of suspected cocaine were seized during the incident at the mooring in Priory Road, near St Denys.

A Southampton man and four others have previously appeared in court in connection with this incident.

Allen Fowler, 69, of Priory Road, has been charged with participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.

It is alleged Fowler let out an Air BnB and arranged for the mooring of a RHIB at the cost of £1,500 between July 7 and July 8.

It is also alleged he arranged for the 40ft RHIB to be put into the water, as well as transport people around Southampton, including from the Holiday Inn hotel.

On July 5 it is alleged he had conversations on WhatsApp with a contact named El Santo in which it was discussed how to avoid detection from patrols, the presence of helicopters, the Navy and doing things in the cover of darkness.

It was also allegedly discussed the type of boat popular in Southampton and which would look less conspicuous. 

Kieran Farrell, 29, of Tower Croft, Birmingham was charged with conspiring to fraudulent evade a prohibition on the importation of a class A drug; two counts of driving whilst disqualified; two counts of driving without insurance; and acquire / use / possess criminal property.

Stephen Lock, 41, of Fieldhouse Road, Birmingham was charged with conspiring to fraudulent evade a prohibition on the importation of a class A drug.

Thomas Walker, 32, of Abererch Road, Pwllheli, Wales, has been charged with conspiring to fraudulent evade a prohibition on the importation of a class A drug.

Reiss Stanley, 29, of Gaydon Court, Gaydon Road, Solihull has been charged with possessing with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A, namely cocaine and being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a Class A drug.