More than 6 tons of cocaine hidden in cargo of bananas seized at port in UK

Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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More than $570 million worth of cocaine hidden within a cargo of bananas was seized in the Southampton Port in the UK on Feb. 8, 2023.
More than $570 million worth of cocaine hidden within a cargo of bananas was seized in the Southampton Port in the UK on Feb. 8, 2023.

More than $570 million worth of cocaine was seized from packages of bananas in what is believed to be the biggest seizure of class-A drugs in the United Kingdom.

The UK's National Crime Agency said on Friday that 6.3 tons of cocaine was seized from a container on Feb. 8 at Southampton Port, roughly 80 miles southwest of London.

Specialist Border Force officers found the drugs hidden within a cargo of bananas that were being transported from South America and believed to be headed to the Port of Hamburg in Germany, the NCA said.

Authorities are investigating to figure out who is behind the shipment, estimated to be worth over $570 million.

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Largest class A drug bust

Officials said this seizure surpasses the previous largest U.K. seizures of 4.1 tons of cocaine at Southampton in 2022 and 3.5 tons found on a tug boat in Scotland in 2015.

According to the press release, criminal gangs make as much as $5 billion on the domestic cocaine market in the U.K. alone. The cocaine trade has also been linked to serious violence, which "has seen an exponential rise" in the past few years in the U.K.

“This record-breaking seizure will represent a huge hit to the international organised crime cartels involved, denying them massive profits. The work of the NCA was crucial to making it happen," NCA Director Chris Farrimond said.

Farrimond said that while the shipment was headed into Europe, he believes a "significant proportion would have ended up back here in the U.K., being peddled by U.K. criminal gangs."

Minister for Legal Migration and the Border, Tom Pursglove MP said the U.K. has a "zero-tolerance approach to the supply of illegal drugs."

“This seizure sends a clear message to criminals that they will be caught. Our Border Force officers continue to work relentlessly to protect our borders and ensure the safety and security of the public.”

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Colombia is the largest producer of cocaine, accounting for 70 to 80% of the worlds supply. The agency said the country is estimated to produce $400 million dollars worth of the drug a week.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cocaine hidden in banana cargo box seized in UK, worth $570M