Shock at UK port as 2.9 tonnes of cocaine found in boxes of bananas
Border Force and the National Crime Agency intercepted a banana shipment at London Gateway; nine men were arrested and released on bail.
British authorities say they uncovered 2.9 tonnes of cocaine hidden inside boxes of bananas at the London Gateway port in Essex, a consignment they estimate is worth about €230 million.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) reported that Border Force officers intercepted the shipment on Thursday at London Gateway, east of London. The drugs were concealed inside a consignment of bananas originating from South America.
Nine men were arrested in connection with the seizure and later released on bail pending further inquiries.
Authorities call the haul significant
Investigator Dave Phillips commented on the operation: "This is a very significant seizure that has deprived the organised criminal group behind it of huge profits. These are funds that cannot be reinvested in further criminality. Class A drugs destroy lives, are toxic and can devastate our communities," he said.
The NCA pointed to previous large seizures in recent years as context. In February 2024, the agency and Border Force recovered what was believed to be the largest quantity of Class A drugs found in the UK to date — nearly six tonnes of cocaine hidden in a container at the Port of Southampton, also concealed in a banana shipment from South America. The Home Office later said that, during a "record" summer, Border Force seized cocaine with an estimated value of more than €1 billion; between 1 June and 31 August of that year officers seized 15.6 tonnes of cocaine.
In a related note, courts in the UK have handed down multi-year sentences in other cases: an Albanian national was given an eight-year prison term for dealing cocaine with an estimated value of €2 million.
Photo: press material from the event
