£230m cocaine shipment hidden in bananas seized at port by Border Force

Cocaine said to be worth more than £230m has been found hidden in banana boxes.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Border Force officers seized the 2.9-tonne shipment at London Gateway Port in Essex on Thursday.

The haul, with an estimated street value of £232m, was found hidden in a load of bananas from South America.

Nine men were arrested and later released on bail.

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.

“That is money that cannot be ploughed back into further crime.

“Class A drugs wreck lives, they are toxic and can devastate our communities.

“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.”

In February 2024, the NCA and Border Force made what is believed to be the biggest seizure of class A drugs in the UK.

Almost six tonnes of cocaine was found in a container at Southampton Port, hidden in a cargo of bananas from South America.

In October 2025, the Home Office said more than £1bn of the drug had been intercepted in a “record-breaking” summer.

Between 1 June and 31 August last year, Border Force officers confiscated 15.6 tonnes of the substance, the department said.

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