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£256M Cocaine Disguised as Bananas Busted
11 Apr
Summary
- Over three tonnes of cocaine worth £256 million seized.
- Drugs were hidden among real fruit disguised as banana boxes.
- Seizure is the sixth-largest cocaine haul on record.
Border Force officers have made a significant interception at London Gateway Port, seizing over three tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of £256 million. The illicit drugs were meticulously disguised as banana boxes, hidden amongst genuine fruit within a single shipping container.
This interception on February 27 was part of a major operation utilizing high-tech scanners. The three-tonne haul represents the sixth-largest cocaine seizure on record and is a major blow to organized crime networks. This incident follows another seizure approximately one month later, on March 24, where cocaine worth an estimated £80 million was found in a container carrying South American wine.
Combined, these operations have led to the confiscation of more than five tonnes of cocaine, valued at over £400 million, in less than a month. Officials noted that drug seizures are at an all-time high, with nearly 150 tonnes of illegal drugs seized in the year ending March 2025, indicating a strong governmental focus on securing borders and combating illegal drug trades.
