Record Haul of Cocaine Worth £450 Million Intercepted at Southampton Docks

A record-breaking consigment of 5.7 tonnes of cocaine, which was found in a container at the port of Southampton, England on Feb. 8, 2024. UK Border Force

The National Crime Agency and the UK Border Force have intercepted £450 million worth of cocaine at Southampton docks, which is believed to be the biggest-ever seizure of class A drugs.

A shipping container searched on Feb. 8 was found to contain 5.7 tonnes of cocaine, hidden in a consignment of bananas which had arrived from South America.

A statement by the National Crime Agency (NCA) said it was believed, “the haul was heading to the port of Hamburg in Germany for onward delivery.”

It is thought the drugs may have been ordered by the ‘Ndrangheta, the Calabrian mafia, who have an extensive network in Germany.

But Anna Sergi, a professor of organised crime at the University of Essex and expert on the ‘Ndrangheta, told The Epoch Times, “They are big but they are not the only ones this big.”

She said a shipment of this size would probably involve more than one organised crime group.

The NCA said, “Enquiries are ongoing with international partners across Europe with a view to identifying the criminal networks involved.”

They refused to identify the name of the ship the container had travelled to England on and also did not identify the country which was believed to be the source.

The NCA’s Near Europe Taskforce identified the shipment and asked specialist UK Border Force officers to seize it and examine the container.

The NCA said, “Based on UK street-level prices the cocaine would likely have had an estimated value in excess of £450 million.”

UK Cocaine Market Worth £4 Billion a Year

The NCA said the cocaine market in Britain is believed to be worth around £4 billion a year.

They said the illegal trafficking and sale of cocaine was linked to gun and knife crime all over Britain and they said the cocaine trade had seen an “exponential rise” in violence in recent years.

In December five men were jailed for their part in the abduction, torture and killing of Koray Alpergin, a Turkish community DJ in London. The trial heard he was killed by the Tottenham Turks gang, probably over money or a missing package of Class A drugs.

Cocaine—hidden in a consignment of bananas from South America—which was found at the port of Southampton, England, on Feb. 8, 2024. UK Border Force

NCA director Chris Farrimond said, “This record-breaking seizure will represent a huge hit to the international organised crime cartels involved, denying them massive profits. The work of the NCA was crucial to making it happen.”

“While the destination for the consignment was continental Europe in this case, I have no doubt that a significant proportion would have ended up back here in the UK, being peddled by UK criminal gangs,” he added.

‘Zero-Tolerance Approach to Supply of Illegal Drugs’

Home office minister Tom Pursglove MP, said, “This government takes a zero-tolerance approach to the supply of illegal drugs, and I am grateful to dedicated Border Force officers and the NCA for their work to apprehend this record-breaking seizure.”

“This seizure sends a clear message to criminals that they will be caught. Our Border Force officers continue to work relentlessly to protect our borders and ensure the safety and security of the public,” he added.

The Feb. 8 seizure was considerably bigger than the previous record, which was 3.7 tonnes of cocaine also found at Southampton in 2022. In 2015 another 3.2 tonnes was found on a tug boat, the MV Hamal, in Scotland.

In 2021 border officials at Portsmouth found 2,330 cocaine weighing 2.3 tonnes in a consignment of bananas from Colombia.

Four days later police officers posing as lorry drivers delivered the boxes to a warehouse in Enfield, north London.

Petko Zhutev, 38, went on trial last year charged with importing a Class A drug but a jury was unable to reach a verdict.

On Friday, Mr. Zhutev appeared by video link at the Old Bailey along with two other men, Olsi Ebeja and Erik Muci.

All three are now due to go on trial in May, accused of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the importation of Class A drugs, in relation to the cocaine brought in through Portsmouth in 2021.

The Epoch Times has contacted the German federal police, the Bundeskriminalamt, regarding the Southampton shipment, but has not had a response.