Border Force seizes enormous £100m cocaine shipment at London port - one of the biggest drugs busts in years
Border Force have seized an enormous £100million in cocaine in one of the biggest drug busts in years in the UK.
The massive haul was discovered hidden beneath containers on a ship arriving at London Gateway port from Panama, the Home Office said.
Specialist officers identified the shipment earlier this month after conducting an intelligence-led operation.
With assistance from the port operator, they moved 37 large containers to access the stash.
Valued at an estimated £96million, this marks the sixth-largest cocaine seizure on record.
Minister for migration and citizenship Seema Malhotra said: 'Drugs gangs trying to import illegal substances into the UK are a blight on society and we will leave no stone left unturned in our pursuit of organised crime gangs inflicting addiction, misery and death upon Britain's communities.
'Well done to Border Force Maritime officers on a hugely successful operation, which has struck a major blow against the criminals threatening our country.'
Cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales rose by 31% between 2022 and 2023, the Home Office said.
This has been blamed the being brought into the country as being of higher quality but also more dangerous,
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 co-operation to disrupt and dismantle your operations.'
Mr Eastaugh told the Times: 'I'm really worried that there could be some really awful mixing and cutting of cocaine in order to maximise profits by organised criminals who have absolutely no regard for the health of members of the public, children and communities who are affected by importation of cocaine.'
He explained that criminal gangs are shifting their tactics in response to the progress made by the Home Office and, in particular, Border Force Maritime.
While efforts to crack down on drug imports have intensified, he acknowledged that drug trafficking remains a major problem in the UK.
Global cocaine production continues to rise, and consumption levels in the UK are still alarmingly high.
Container ships are one of the main methods used by gangs to smuggle cocaine into the UK, Mr Eastaugh told the newspaper.
Meanwhile, a haul of 20 firearms, 320 rounds of ammunition, 170kg of ketamine and 4,000 MDMA pills have been found in a lorry at Dover Port.
National Crime Agency investigators estimate the street value of the ketamine would have been around £4.5 million and £40,000 for the MDMA.
The driver, a 34-year-old Tajikstan national, was arrested on suspicion of smuggling the illegal items.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Police called on man singing patriotic folk song Flower of Scotland and another ordering a takeaway in an Indian accent, as Police officers forced to record 6,300 'Non-Crime Hate Incidents' last year
They used to say that sticks and stones might break your bones but words would never hurt you. But not any more, if the number of bizarre hate incidents recorded by police is anything to go by. In one example, officers were called about a man heard singing the patriotic folk song Flower Of Scotland at an English railway station. The tune, often sung at rugby matches, was written in the 1960s by the late Scottish songwriter Roy Williamson to mark Robert The Bruce's victory over Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314. One householder complained after overhearing a neighbour insult her through her Ring video doorbell, while officers also recorded the incident of a caller adopting an Indian accent to order a takeaway curry. Police say the laborious recording of so-called Non-Crime Hate Incidents (NCHIs) continues despite a recent spike in crime. At least 6,300 NCHIs were logged last year, according to a survey. The real total is likely to be far higher because 15 of the 44 forces in England and Wales failed to respond. However, while police tackle NCHI red tape, 'headline' crimes such as theft, robbery, criminal damage, fraud, computer misuse and violence rose by 14 per cent in 2023 to 9.6million in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. Other hate incidents include a pub landlord who stopped a transgender woman using the ladies' toilet and a worker accusing a supervisor of discussing his intimate Where's Wally tattoo and commenting on the complainant's shoes and hair covering. Bedfordshire Police recorded the conversations as 'sex-based and hate-motivated', adding: 'The victim felt irritated for the rest of the shift as it was mean and uncalled for.' It said it followed national guidance. No details were provided about the customer using an Indian accent to order a takeaway, except that the curry was a chicken tikka masala. South Wales Police, which dealt with the trans toilet row, recorded 40 NCHIs last year. Two alleged 'perpetrators' were aged nine and eleven. The Home Office defines an NCHI as an act perceived by a complainant to be motivated 'by hostility or prejudice towards persons with a particular characteristic'. Shadow justice minister Robert Jenrick told The Sun, which carried out the survey: 'This is crackers. We need to scrap NCHIs altogether.' Former Metropolitan Police detective Peter Bleksley said: 'It is not a policing matter if someone is singing Flower Of Scotland. If it were, the whole of the Met would have to be deployed when Scotland play rugby at Twickenham.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Marilyn Manson Brighton concert cancelled after pressure from campaigners
Heavy metal star Marilyn Manson, has had the first UK concert of his One Assassination Under God Tour cancelled after pressure from campaign groups and an MP. The first leg of the tour was due to kick off at the Brighton Centre on Wednesday, 29 October. Ticketmaster have since informed customers that the event will no longer go ahead as planned and they will be refunded. An online campaign group, No Stage for Abusers, called on the Brighton Centre and Brighton and Hove city council, which owns the venue, to cancel the performance. Four women had sued Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, accusing him of rape, sexual assault and bodily harm. However, after a year-long investigation, the case against him was dropped in January. Prosecutors in California found that the statute of limitations had been exceeded and argued they would not be able to bring charges that prove Warner was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The identities of the women were not revealed, but Game of Thrones actor Esmé Bianco, who sued Warner in a case that has now been settled, stated that she was part of the criminal investigation. In 2021, Manson's former fiancee, the Westworld actor Evan Rachel Wood, also named him as her abuser for the first time in an Instagram post. Warner has dismissed the allegations as 'falsehoods'. Last week, Green Party MP Siân Berry expressed her concerns about Warner's scheduled performance in her constituency in Brighton, writing an open letter to the leader of Brighton and Hove city council, Bella Sankey. In Berry's letter, which was co-signed by a host of groups and the University of Sussex students' union, she made the case for cancelling the concert, saying it went against 'the city's well-renowned values'. Berry wrote: 'Many survivors in Brighton and Hove, and organisations supporting them, will have serious concerns about this booking and its wider impact on other people visiting the city centre, local residents and the wider community.' She added: 'The council has a responsibility to take action where there are risks of discrimination, harassment and victimisation.' Supporters of Warner point out that Warner has not been found guilty of allegations against him. Others said the decision infringes on freedom of speech. One person told The Argus: 'This is cancel culture, nothing more, and it'll backfire when artists don't add a Brighton and Hove date to their tours and stick to London, which incidentally hasn't banned Marilyn Manson from their city.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Gemma Collins left 'terrified' after being sent 'rat poison' in the post as TOWIE star ups security at her mansion following menacing letter earlier this month
Gemma Collins has been left 'terrified' after she was sent rat poison in the post as her stalking hell intensifies. The reality star, 44, is said to be 'reeling' after a package containing the toxicant was delivered to her Essex home. Gemma is believed to have reported the incident to police after a 'nasty' glittery note was also found inside the package. A source told The Sun: 'The package was really scary and she was terrified to receive it. 'It was delivered by the postman, but had no postage stamp on it. 'Gemma was worried as it contained rat poison, especially as she has animals at her home.' The reality star, 44, is said to be 'reeling' after a package containing the toxicant was delivered to her Essex home MailOnline has contacted a rep for Gemma for comment. It comes after it was revealed how Gemma was forced to call in police after previously being left 'terrified' by a nasty letter delivered to her home. A source close to the reality star told The Sun how the note detailed the twisted sender's strong dislike for Gemma. After the menacing letter, Gemma was said to have beefed up security at her mansion and police were investigating. Gemma, who was a car dealer before shooting to fame when she landed a role on ITV's The Only Way Is Essex, previously spoke about her experience with stalking. She told how she's had 'scary' people turn up at her shop in Essex and send her terrifying letters. She told how it 'played havoc on her mind' and was the reason she stepped away from her front of house work at her boutique in Brentwood. Appearing on the Daily Mail's Everything I Know About Me Podcast, Gemma said: 'No one would believe the bl**dy crap I've had to deal with. 'I've had a woman stalker that wrote me a letter in white gloves and wanted to kill me. 'You know, people would wish me dead. I'd get all sorts turn up at the shop. Weird. People are weird. And that's why in a way I came away from my shop in the end.' In 2019, Gemma was forced to move out of her home in Essex over stalking fears, with removal vans being pictured at the property at the time. She had been stalked by a man that previously fat-shamed her. It comes after Gemma recently told fans how she had been struck down with pneumonia as she explained her absence from social media. Gemma explained that her condition had been leaving her breathless 'really quickly' but due to medics diagnosing it as viral, antibiotics would be ineffective. She told The Mirror: 'It's shocking, I've had it now for over three weeks and I had steroids given to me by my doctor. It was DJ Fat Tony's wedding and I had to take them to get through that,' 'But I'm off them now and the sickness is really kicking back in. It's so frustrating because I normally have so much energy and I'm always loving life, but now I get really breathless really quickly and I feel like I'm dying.' Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection. Most people get better in two to four weeks, but babies, older people, and people with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill and may need treatment in hospital. Taking to her Stories Gemma shared snaps as she underwent X-rays while praising medical staff for their care. She wrote: 'Thank you to all the amazing doctors helping me your real life angels'. Announcing the news of her condition on Wednesday, Gemma shared a photo of herself in bed looking poorly in bed. She wrote: 'Hey guys sorry been quiet i have Pneumonia. I'm not as fast or on it as I usually am on the daily. 'I am still honouring my work commitments which is taking every bit of energy I have but will be back entertaining you all soon.' On her Story she added an update as she showed she was on a drip and had been visited by a doctor. One post that showed a drip in her arm read: 'I'm having to take it easy which is not like me very slow and get so out of breath and tired so quick.' WHAT IS PNEUMONIA? Pneumonia is a type of chest infection that affects the tiny air sacs in the lungs. The condition causes these sacs to be become inflammed and fill with fluid, making it harder to breathe. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria or viruses, with the most common being Streptococcus pneumoniae. It affects between five and 11 out of every 1,000 adults every year in the UK. Anyone can suffer from pneumonia, however, at-risk groups include: Babies and young children People over 65 Those with long-term heart, lung or kidney disease People with cancer, particularly those having chemotherapy Smokers Those on drugs that suppress their immune systems Antibiotics or mechanical ventilator use in hospitals also raise the risk. Symptoms include Coughing up mucus Fever Chest pain Loss of appetite Fatigue In severe cases, sufferers may cough up blood, vomit or have a rapid heart rate. Treatment is usually antibiotics, which may need to be given intravenously in hospital in severe cases.
