Over 2 Tons of Cocaine Worth £96 Mln Seized at London Port

British authorities have announced the seizure of 2.4 metric tons of cocaine at London Gateway port, one of the largest drug interceptions in the country’s history. The estimated street value of the narcotics stands at £96 million.

According to the UK Home Office, this operation ranks as the sixth-largest cocaine seizure ever recorded in the United Kingdom. 

The drugs were discovered concealed beneath dozens of shipping containers aboard a vessel arriving from Panama, a known transit hub for international narcotics trafficking.

The interdiction was carried out earlier this month by specialist officers from the UK Border Force, who worked in coordination with the port operator to relocate 37 large containers in order to reach the illicit cargo.

Authorities emphasized the strategic significance of this interception. Container ships remain a key method used by transnational criminal networks to smuggle cocaine into the United Kingdom. This seizure reflects the growing sophistication of British border security efforts.

Charlie Eastaugh, Director of Maritime Operations at UK Border Force, highlighted that the operation exemplifies the agency’s proactive stance in combating organized crime. British law enforcement is increasingly leveraging intelligence-sharing and cross-border cooperation to identify and dismantle international drug networks.

The United Kingdom remains one of Europe’s largest cocaine markets, with cocaine-related fatalities in England and Wales rising by 31% between 2022 and 2023, according to official government data. The National Crime Agency (NCA) continues to warn that the country is a major target for global narcotics traffickers.