Cocaine Worth £10M Seized by UK Police in a Kent Port
Police in the United Kingdom have made a significant drug bust, seizing cocaine worth £10 million (€11.4 million) during a raid on a container ship at Sheerness Port in Kent. The British National Crime Agency (NCA) discovered the drugs on a Panamanian-registered vessel that was transporting bananas to the Netherlands on October 14th.
The cocaine, weighing 137 kilograms (302 pounds), was concealed in four large holdalls placed below the water line inside the sea chest, an area used for seawater intake to maintain ship stability. The joint investigation involved the NCA, the Metropolitan Police, and the UK’s Border Force.
In challenging conditions with poor visibility, a team of specialist divers from the Metropolitan Police conducted an underwater search of the ship’s hull. With assistance from officers of the Border Force National Deep Rummage Team and port operator Peel Ports, the divers successfully recovered the drugs, which had been hidden behind bolted-up grills. This operation took approximately five hours to complete.
David Phillips, the NCA’s operations manager, highlighted the sophisticated concealment of the drugs, emphasizing how far criminal networks will go to distribute dangerous substances like cocaine. He expressed gratitude to the Metropolitan Police’s Diving Team for their efforts, acknowledging the collaboration between law enforcement agencies in tackling organized criminal groups and addressing the supply of harmful drugs.
This discovery marks one of only two instances of underwater concealments of class A drugs ever found in the UK. In a similar operation in Bristol in November 2021, authorities seized 46 kilograms (101.4 pounds) of cocaine.
Moving forward, the NCA is working closely with law enforcement agencies in the Netherlands and Panama to further investigate the matter. Border Force Maritime Command’s deputy director, Stephen Whitton, commended the joint efforts of the NCA, the Met Police, and the Border Force for successfully preventing £10 million worth of cocaine from infiltrating the streets and neighboring countries. He affirmed Border Force’s commitment to continuous vigilance in intercepting drug supply chains and collaborating with counterparts to identify and counter new smuggling methods.
The seizure of this substantial quantity of cocaine serves as a significant blow to criminal networks involved in drug trafficking. By disrupting these operations, authorities aim to curb the violence and exploitation inflicted on communities by gangs responsible for the sale of class A drugs like cocaine. This successful operation once again highlights the determination of law enforcement agencies to combat organized criminal activities and protect public safety.
