LONDON, June 28 (TNF): UK authorities have seized over two tonnes of cocaine hidden on a ship from Panama. Officials say this is one of the largest drug busts in British history. The cocaine has a street value of $132 million. This seizure deals a major blow to the international drug trade.
Charlie Eastaugh, director of Border Force Maritime, called it “one of the largest of its kind” ever in the UK. Officers found 2.4 tonnes of cocaine at London Gateway port near the capital. The Home Office said this is the country’s sixth-biggest cocaine haul on record.
The cocaine was hidden under large shipping containers. Specialist teams moved 37 containers to uncover the drugs during a detailed search earlier this month. The operation was based on intelligence.
The National Crime Agency has labeled the UK a top cocaine market in Europe. Government data shows cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales rose by 31 percent from 2022 to 2023.
This record seizure follows a warning from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The UN said the global cocaine trade kept growing in 2023. The UN’s World Drug Report named cocaine the world’s fastest-growing illegal drug market. Booming production in Colombia and rising demand in Europe and the Americas drive this surge.
UNODC figures show cocaine use worldwide has soared to 25 million in 2023. A decade ago, 17 million people used cocaine. This increase highlights the huge challenge law enforcement faces today.
English