Over a tonne of cocaine found hidden in banana pulp shipment at London port

Border Force officers discovered ‘anomalies’ in shipment from Colombia

Part of a shipment of cocaine weighmore more than a tonne found at London Gateway port in November 2020 (Border Force)

More than a tonne of cocaine has been found hidden in a shipment of banana pulp in a UK port.

The class A drugs had been concealed in the cargo in Colombia and the ship stopped at London Gateway port on its voyage to the Netherlands.

Border Force officers discovered the haul after a routine inspection of a commercial vessel on 12 November identified “anomalies“.

It was the second-largest seizure in the space of two months, after a series of proactive operations during the coronavirus pandemic.

Law enforcement agencies say that aviation and shipping restrictions since March have forced gangs to send larger quantities of cocaine in single loads that were more at risk of being seized.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said that although the UK was not the ultimate destination for the shipment, “it is likely that at least a proportion would have ended up being sold on our streets”.

Branch commander Jacque Beer added: “These were substantial seizures and will represent a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved, meaning less profit for them to reinvest.”

The cocaine weighed 1,060kg, following another 1,155kg that was seized on 12 September from a shipping container loaded with paper.

Steve Whitton, the head of Border Force maritime command, said: “These significant seizures have taken a large amount of dangerous drugs off the streets, which not only reduces the significant harm they cause to communities but also makes a huge dent in profits of smugglers and dealers.”

The home secretary said the UK would use “every inch of our law enforcement powers” to stop drugs entering the country.

“Drugs fuel criminality and destroy lives,” Priti Patel added. “Class A drugs such as cocaine inflict unimaginable damage on to our citizens and communities, shattering lives and stoking obscene levels of violence, disorder and crime.”

Police, the NCA and Border Force have seized huge amounts of cocaine and other drugs since  the start of the coronavirus lockdown, which has made importing and transporting illicit goods more difficult.