UK Authorities Seize 5 Tons of Cocaine Worth Over $500M in Shipments

Border agents in the UK have intercepted approximately five tons of cocaine at London Gateway port within a month, according to the Home Office’s social media announcement.

The seized narcotics are valued at over £400 million, or roughly $538 million. The port, located about 30 miles from London, is England’s second-largest deep-sea container terminal, handling large vessels.

Criminal gangs tried to avoid detection by concealing drugs in various cargo, including a banana shipment and a vat of South American wine. Photos reveal the cocaine hidden within containers and shipments, as well as scattered on a building floor.

The Home Office did not disclose if any arrests were made during these seizures. This is not the first significant bust at a London port recently; last month, three men were charged for attempting to smuggle nearly $100 million worth of cocaine through Southampton Docks. In February 2024, another major seizure occurred at Southampton Docks, with over 12,500 pounds of cocaine found in a banana shipment, marking the country’s largest single drug seizure on record.

International authorities have also discovered drugs hidden within banana shipments, including incidents in Greece, Russia, and Norway.”