£75m Cocaine Haul Discovered Hidden in Banana Shipment at Southampton Docks
Southampton – Border Force officers have intercepted a massive shipment of cocaine with an estimated street value of £75 million at Southampton Docks, marking one of the largest drug seizures at the port in recent months.
The discovery was made during a targeted search of a commercial shipping container that had arrived in the UK from Nicaragua, having traveled via Panama. Upon opening the container, which was officially logged as carrying pallets of bananas, officers discovered 943kg of the Class A substance hidden among the fruit.
.jpg)
The operation was carried out by Border Force in close partnership with the National Crime Agency. Officials confirmed that the nearly one-ton haul has been removed from the supply chain, preventing a significant amount of illegal drugs from reaching British streets.
Following the seizure, two men have been arrested and formally charged with the importation of Class A drugs.
The defendants have been identified as 37-year-old Daniel Dumitru of Reginald Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, and 46-year-old Andrew Smyth of West Park Gardens, Prenton, Merseyside.
A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency highlighted the importance of the seizure, noting that the disruption of high-volume drug trafficking remains a top priority for law enforcement. The use of perishable goods, such as fruit, is a common tactic used by international smuggling rings to mask the scent and appearance of illicit cargo.
Both men remain in custody as the legal proceedings continue. Investigations into the wider smuggling network linked to the shipment are ongoing.
The discovery was made during a targeted search of a commercial shipping container that had arrived in the UK from Nicaragua, having traveled via Panama. Upon opening the container, which was officially logged as carrying pallets of bananas, officers discovered 943kg of the Class A substance hidden among the fruit.
.jpg)
The operation was carried out by Border Force in close partnership with the National Crime Agency. Officials confirmed that the nearly one-ton haul has been removed from the supply chain, preventing a significant amount of illegal drugs from reaching British streets.
Following the seizure, two men have been arrested and formally charged with the importation of Class A drugs.
The defendants have been identified as 37-year-old Daniel Dumitru of Reginald Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, and 46-year-old Andrew Smyth of West Park Gardens, Prenton, Merseyside.
A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency highlighted the importance of the seizure, noting that the disruption of high-volume drug trafficking remains a top priority for law enforcement. The use of perishable goods, such as fruit, is a common tactic used by international smuggling rings to mask the scent and appearance of illicit cargo.
Both men remain in custody as the legal proceedings continue. Investigations into the wider smuggling network linked to the shipment are ongoing.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment