British authorities have intercepted 2.4 metric tons of cocaine aboard a ship arriving from Panama, marking one of the largest drug busts in the U.K. in recent years.
Officials discovered the cocaine—worth an estimated £96 million ($132 million)—hidden beneath containers on a vessel docked at London Gateway port, just east of London. The bust followed what authorities described as an intelligence-led operation.
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The Home Office confirmed the seizure ranks as the sixth-largest cocaine haul in the country’s history.
Charlie Eastaugh, director of the U.K. Border Force Maritime, praised the operation, saying it demonstrated how Border Force officers stay ahead of organized criminal networks.
“This seizure is just one example of how dedicated Border Force maritime officers remain one step ahead of the criminal gangs who threaten our security,” Eastaugh said. “Our message to these criminals is clear — more than ever before, we are using intelligence and international law enforcement co-operation to disrupt and dismantle your operations.”
According to the National Crime Agency, Britain is one of Europe’s largest cocaine markets. The U.K. government also reported that cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales jumped 31% between 2022 and 2023.
The massive haul comes on the heels of several major international drug seizures. Just last week, the Mexican navy confiscated 3.5 tons of cocaine from a semisubmersible vessel off the Pacific coast and released footage of the so-called “narco sub” being intercepted.
In another operation back in April, the U.S. Coast Guard seized around 10,000 pounds of cocaine from a fishing boat in the Atlantic Ocean. That shipment was valued at roughly $74 million.
