Southampton Port: Largest class-A drugs haul worth £450 million found in banana shipment

Описание: The largest ever haul of class A drugs, worth an estimated £450 million, has been seized in a load of bananas at Southampton Port.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) and Border Force seized 5.7 tonnes of cocaine found in a container carrying the fruit from South America on February 8.

The NCA has said the illicit drugs were heading to the Port of Hamburg in Germany for onward delivery.

A spokesman said: “Inquiries are ongoing with international partners across Europe with a view to identifying the criminal networks involved.
“Based on UK street-level prices the cocaine would likely have had an estimated value in excess of £450 million.”

The previous largest UK seizure was 3.7 tonnes of cocaine, also found at Southampton, in 2022, and 3.2 tonnes were found on board the tug boat MV Hamal in Scotland in 2015.


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