Feature Image: © UK Border Force
Authorities have seized a haul of cocaine at London Gateway Port worth nearly £100 million ($137.75 million).
The haul had been detected earlier this year after an intelligence-led operation, but was intercepted as it arrived in the UK this week.
According to Sky News, haulage had been detected earlier this year following an intelligence-led operation.
The smugglers had taken extensive measures to conceal the shipment of drugs, worth around £96 million ($132.2 million), hiding it deep inside a container filled with legal cargo.
According to authorities, the targeted container was buried beneath 37 others, all of which had to be moved to access it. The entire operation took up to two days to complete.
While examining the target container, 2.4 tonnes of cocaine in over 2,000 blocks were discovered. The Border Force estimated the street value of the seizure at nearly $133 million, making it the sixth largest on record since its official tracking began.
Border Force Maritime Director, Charlie Eastaugh, said: “This seizure – one of the largest of its kind – is just one example of how dedicated Border Force maritime officers remain one step ahead of the criminal gangs who threaten our security.
“Our message to these criminals is clear – more than ever before, we are using intelligence and international law enforcement cooperation to disrupt and dismantle your operations.”
Authorities have enhanced their cooperation with international teams to stifle the flow of illicit goods. They highlighted ongoing cooperation and training programmes in Latin America aimed at preventing drug shipments from reaching the UK and Europe.
European and international law enforcement agencies are collaborating with ports and shipping companies in renewed efforts to combat illicit trade. Despite this, Europol estimates that only 10 to 15 per cent of cocaine shipments are intercepted at European ports.
READ: Spanish police seize 8 tonnes of cocaine in Port of Algeciras
Authorities have pointed to increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods, including infiltrating port operations to obtain container release codes, allowing traffickers to move shipments undetected. In other instances, smugglers have resorted to bribing crewmembers to drop drug parcels near shore, where they are retrieved by waiting small boats.
Elsewhere over the weekend, authorities at Dover Port in Kent discovered a separate haul that included 170 kilos of ketamine, 4,000 MDMA pills, and 20 firearms concealed in a lorry, reported Sky News.
Last October, the Australian Border Force (AFP) discovered over 30 kilograms of cocaine in a refrigerated container at Port Botany.
