Cocaine haul worth nearly £100m seized in one of UK’s biggest-ever drugs busts

A haul of cocaine worth nearly £100m has been seized at a UK port, authorities say.

The haul, weighing 2.4 tonnes, was found under containers on a ship arriving from Panama at London Gateway port in Thurrock, Essex.

It had been detected earlier this year after an intelligence-led operation but was intercepted as it arrived in the UK this week.

With the help of the port operator, 37 large containers were moved to uncover the drugs, worth an estimated £96m.

The haul is the sixth-largest cocaine seizure in UK history, according to Border Force.

Its maritime director Charlie Eastaugh said: “This seizure – one of the largest of its kind – is just one example of how dedicated Border Force maritime officers remain one step ahead of the criminal gangs who threaten our security.

“Our message to these criminals is clear – more than ever before, we are using intelligence and international law enforcement cooperation to disrupt and dismantle your operations.”

Container ships are one of the main ways international gangs smuggle Class A drugs into the UK, Mr Eastaugh said.

Cocaine deaths in England and Wales increased by 31% between 2022 and 2023, according to the latest Home Office data.

Elsewhere this weekend, a separate haul of 170 kilos of ketamine, 4,000 MDMA pills, and 20 firearms were found on a lorry at Dover Port in Kent.

Experts estimate the ketamine’s street value to be £4.5m, with the MDMA worth at least £40,000.

The driver of the lorry, a 34-year-old Tajikistan national, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of smuggling the items, the National Crime Agency said.