Border Force officers, acting on National Crime Agency (NCA) intelligence, recovered a 2.9-tonne consignment of cocaine with an estimated street value of £232 million at London Gateway Port in Essex on Thursday.
The drugs were hidden in a coverload of bananas from South America. Officers watched as the container was collected and delivered to a location near Buntingford, Hertfordshire, where NCA officers then arrested nine men.
Investigation leads to arrests
Dave Phillips, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “This is a very significant seizure which has deprived the organised crime group behind it of huge profits.” He added: “That is money that cannot be ploughed back into further crime. Class A drugs wreck lives, they are toxic and can devastate our communities.”
Phillips also noted: “The NCA will continue to combat the threat of Class A drugs with partners at home, such as Border Force, and further upstream in source and transit countries.”
The nine arrested men have been released on bail pending further investigations.
