UK-EU Joint Operation Seizes £66M in Cocaine, Disrupting Organized Crime

In a significant crackdown on transnational drug trafficking, the UK's Border Force has collaborated with European Union partners to seize more than £66 million worth of cocaine. The joint operation, which has been ongoing since September 2024, has targeted organized crime gangs smuggling large quantities of the drug from South America and West Africa.

The operation, led by the Belgian authorities, has involved sharing intelligence about suspicious vessels and carrying out coordinated sea patrols in the eastern Channel, southern North Sea, and other European waters. UK Border Force vessels have worked alongside their counterparts from Belgium and the Netherlands, leading to the seizure of over 3,300 kg of cocaine and 13 arrests.

The minister for immigration, Seema Malhotra, has hailed the operation as a testament to the "reset" in relations between the UK and the EU since the Labour government came into power. She emphasized that the increased trust and intelligence sharing between the two sides have been crucial in disrupting the activities of these international criminal gangs.

The minister also noted that UK Border Force officers have been deployed in Ireland to operate aboard Irish vessels covering the Celtic Sea, an area identified as being at the "biggest risk" for drug smuggling. This collaborative approach, she said, is essential in leaving "nowhere for criminal gangs to hide" and ensuring the protection of citizens across all nations involved.