‘Then I began to write a formula intending to pull out data for use in a graph. However, I pretty soon found an error.’ Javed pointed to the screen. ‘Look at this container. SPKZ300176. The SPK is the owner identifier – in this case SeaPak. The Z specifies the container type product code, the six-figure number is the container identifier. This particular container pops up in May, June and July. It produces the same error in my formula too.’

Holm shook his head. ‘Which is?’

‘The start point and the end point are identical. Look, the container was loaded onto the boat in Felixstowe. The boat is the Excelsior and she makes regular trips between Rotterdam and Felixstowe. However, according to the records the container wasn’t offloaded in Rotterdam, but rather came back to Felixstowe. It never left the ship.’

‘What the hell does that mean?’

‘In short, it means the container went from the UK and travelled to the Netherlands, but because it wasn’t disembarked, to all intents and purposes it never left English soil. Which means it was never checked when it came back to the UK. The records show the container had a domestic origin, hence it wasn’t flagged for inspection.’

‘So there could have been anything inside?’

‘Precisely. The set-up Cornish showed us at Felixstowe was redundant, because the container would have been let through with no checks.’

‘But I don’t understand. If it originated from the UK then there’s no smuggling going on.’

‘Right, that’s what I thought until I looked through some more records and found a sister container which was loaded at Rotterdam. That container returned to Rotterdam without leaving the ship. Start and end port were the same.’

‘Perhaps there’s an error in the document.’

‘Not at all. Now, when they load the cargo I’m guessing there’s some kind of algorithm so they position containers according to weight and destination. You don’t want to have to unload cargo if it’s going to an onward destination.’

‘You’re losing me, Farakh.’

‘Hang in there, we’re almost finished.’ Javed pointed at the screen, his finger hovering over one of the cells on the spreadsheet. ‘That’s the location on the boat where the container is stored. Take a look at our original container from Felixstowe and the second container from Rotterdam.’

Javed flicked between locations on the spreadsheet. Figures swirled and changed and the beginnings of a headache began to throb right between Holm’s eyes.

‘I…’ He felt enfeebled, left behind. He knew he should have gone on more courses, but it was too late now. He closed his eyes for a moment and then blinked them open. ‘For God’s sake put me out of my misery.’