Over 2 tonnes of cocaine worth £100m found on container ship heading from Panama to London Gateway in Essex

Cocaine with a street value of almost £100 million has been seized by Border Force in one of the largest drugs busts of the past decade.

Specialist officers detected the 2.4-tonne shipment earlier this month after carrying out an intelligence-led operation on a container vessel arriving into London Gateway port, Thurrock, Essex, from Panama.

Working in extreme conditions for several hours, officers from Border Force Maritime Directorate’s National Deep Rummage Team were supported by Port operator staff to move 37 large containers to locate the enormous haul.

The interception strikes a significant financial and operational blow against the organised crime groups behind its importation and is an example of an intelligence driven outcome to disrupt criminal supply chains.

Worth an estimated £96 million, it marks the sixth largest cocaine seizure since records began– underlining the Government’s determination to keep Britain’s streets safe through our Plan for Change.

The seizure comes as cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales rose by 31 percent between 2022 and 2023.

The success follows Border Force's expanding international training programme, which is delivering impressive results.

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.

“As Border Force continues to make record seizures, this government is delivering on its Plan for Change to secure our borders and keep our streets safe.”

Since providing bespoke training to Colombian officers in March, UK-bound cocaine seizures at one Colombian port has soared from 14kg last year to 1.4 tonnes in a couple of months since the training.

Similar training has been conducted in Brazil, with Border Force continuing to strengthen partnerships across Latin America to prevent drugs from reaching UK waters and ports.

UK law enforcement work in close collaboration with their international partners, both domestically and across drug trafficking routes globally, to disrupt and dismantle organised criminal gangs who attempt to smuggle drugs to the UK and Europe.

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.

“This work does not stop at the UK border. With our training programmes across Latin America, we are stepping up our capability to stop deadly drugs entering British shores.”

Last month, during a visit to South America, Security Minister Dan Jarvis signed a UK-Ecuador memorandum of understanding that cements both countries’ commitment to dismantling and disrupting violent criminal networks, which threaten the safety of communities in Britain and South America alike.