Why bags of cocaine keep washing up on Britain’s south coast

Armed police patrol beach in Sussex after packages of suspected cocaine wash up on shore

A large haul of suspected cocaine believed to be worth around £2 million has washed up on a beach in Sussex - the latest in a string of drug finds along the south coast in recent weeks.

Police sealed off part of Goring Beach, near Worthing, West Sussex on Monday morning after receiving reports a bag had been found containing the class A narcotic.

At the beginning of the month, on 2 October, fishermen found bags of suspected cocaine in a huge haul close to Durdle Door, Dorset.

On 7 October, holdalls containing hundreds of kilos of white power were discovered in the sea off the coast of Dorset and the Isle of Wight.

Just a few days later, on 12 October, a bag containing suspected cocaine washed up on a beach in Ferring, also West Sussex.

Following the latest find in Goring, Sussex Police said the packages would be taken for forensic testing along with substances that were found “in Selsey on 19 October, Middleton and Felpham on 13 October and Ferring on 12 October.

Police sealed off part of Goring Beach, near Worthing, West Sussex on Monday after packages of suspected cocaine were found (Sussex Police)

The force said it was working with partner agencies to find out the source of the drugs and reminded the public “of the dangers of illegal drugs” and urged people not to touch or attempt to remove them if found.

Is it thought Monday’s find and the discoveries earlier in the month could be linked to the incident on 2 October, when hundreds of kilos of cocaine were dumped in the Solent by smugglers. The word ‘POPI’ was marked on some of the packages in that haul and at least two seizures since then.

The National Crime Agency is investigating the finds and believes the drugs originated in South America, where most of the world’s supply of cocaine comes from.

“We believe this a significant amount of class A drugs which would have originated in South America,” Tracey Lake, NCA senior investigating officer, said following the 2 October discovery.

The word ‘POPI’ has appeared on a number of the packages (NCA)

“A loss of a consignment of this size would represent a significant hit to the criminal networks involved”

She added: “Our investigation is being assisted by both Dorset and Hampshire Police as well as Border Force.

“Any additional suspect packages encountered by members of the public should be reported to the relevant Police force.”

The UK’s cocaine market is estimated to be worth more than £25.7m daily in England, Scotland and Wales, according to the NCA’s latest strategic threat assessment.

In its latest strategic threat assessment the NCA, the UK’s lead agency on tackling organised crime, says the cocaine market is estimated to be worth more than £25.7m daily in England, Scotland and Wales.

In the year ending March 2022, 188,929 drug seizures were made in England and Wales with the amount of cocaine confiscated at a record high.

The quantity of the class A seized rose by 68 per cent to 18,767kg, with the vast majority of the drugs found by Border Force.