More than £400 million worth of cocaine has been seized at the UK border in under a month, with one haul being the sixth-largest on record. Elite Border Security Command Maritime officers intercepted a shipment from Panama bound for the Netherlands at London Gateway port on February 27, 2026.
The three-tonne haul, heavier than an adult rhino, was disguised as banana boxes in a single shipping container. Smugglers had replicated the exact shape and weight of banana boxes to conceal nearly 2,800 packages of cocaine. High-tech scanners detected the ruse, leading to the seizure valued at £256 million.
On March 24, cocaine worth an estimated £80 million was seized from a shipping container carrying South American wine. Combined with further seizures in March, around five tonnes of cocaine were detected at London Gateway port in just under a month, with a total street value surpassing £400 million.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp praised the Border Force teams, stating: “Thanks to the excellent work of our dedicated Border Force teams, massive quantities of lethal drugs are out of circulation, costing criminal gangs more than four hundred million pounds in estimated profits.” He added that drug seizures are at an all-time high under this government.
Director of Maritime and Small Boats Charlie Eastaugh said: “These results speak for themselves: we are coming after drug smugglers. Last month’s huge haul of cocaine – one of the largest seizures on record – is a major setback for organised crime.” He emphasised continued collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence partners to clamp down on criminal networks.
