UK Border Force has seized approximately five tons of cocaine at London Gateway port in less than a month. The estimated value of the seized drugs exceeds £400 million, or about $538 million.
Criminal organizations attempted to conceal the illicit substances within legitimate cargo, including a banana shipment and a vat of South American wine. The drugs were discovered hidden inside shipping containers.
This operation follows other recent large-scale drug seizures at UK ports. In March, three men were charged for attempting to smuggle nearly $100 million worth of cocaine through Southampton Docks, also hidden within a banana shipment. In February 2024, a record seizure at Southampton Docks involved over 12,500 pounds of cocaine found in bananas.