A SHIPMENT of cocaine with a street value of almost £100m (RM579m) has been seized upon arrival at London Gateway by Border Force officers in "one of the largest drugs busts of the past decade".
According to reports, the shipment was intercepted earlier this month on a container vessel which arrived from Panama.
With help from the port operator, specialist officers moved 37 large containers to get at the stash.
“Drugs gangs trying to import illegal substances into the UK are a blight on society and we will leave no stone left unturned in our pursuit of organised crime gangs inflicting addiction, misery and death upon Britain’s communities," said minister for migration and citizenship Seema Malhotra.
This is the sixth largest cocaine seizure since records began, the Home Office said.
Cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales rose by 31% between 2022 and 2023, the Home Office said.
Border Force Maritime director Charlie Eastaugh said container ships are one of the main methods used by gangs to smuggle cocaine into the UK. - June 28, 2025
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