British authorities have seized approximately 2.9 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of £232 million after Border Force officers discovered the drugs hidden inside boxes of bananas shipped from South America to London Gateway Port in Essex. The interception, which took place on Thursday, followed a tip-off from the National Crime Agency about the illegal consignment.
Nine men were arrested in connection with the seizure and later released on bail. The haul ranks among the largest cocaine seizures in British history.
The seizure follows a pattern of major drug interceptions at UK ports. In February 2024, the NCA and Border Force uncovered nearly six tonnes of cocaine at Southampton Port, marking the largest class A drug bust in British history. More recently, the Home Office reported that Border Force confiscated 15.6 tonnes of cocaine between June and August 2025, describing it as a record-breaking summer with more than £1 billion in drugs intercepted.