Around 2.3 tonnes of cocaine worth £184m has been found hidden in a shipment of bananas from Colombia, reports BBC.
Cocaine removed
Consignment of bananas that arrived in the UK from Colombia contained Cocaine weighing 2,300kg. Its value was estimated to be around £184m.
The haul of cocaine was intercepted in Portsmouth and the drugs were removed, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
The pallets were then loaded with dummy packages and delivered to Tottenham Industrial Estate in north London.
Arrest procedures
Ten people were arrested over the haul, which represents one of the UK’s biggest ever drug seizures.
The NCA said three people had been charged.
Joint raid operation
Intelligence received by detectives
The raid was a joint operation between the NCA and the Met Police and was the culmination of a week-long investigation, following intelligence received by detectives.
Shipment tracked
Officers tracked the shipment of drugs on 41 pallets as it arrived in Portsmouth, where UK Border Force officers removed the cocaine.
Gathered evidence
The pallets were then delivered to Tottenham. Police moved in once enough evidence had been gathered from a surveillance operation at the site.
Footage showed armed officers breaking into storage units where the drugs had been due to be delivered.
‘Five million drug deals’
The Met’s Det Supt Simon Moring believes officers have cost organised criminals more than £100m in profits.
He said, “By the time that’s divided down into deals we could be talking about five million drug deals.”
“That’s five million deals taken off the streets of the UK – that will have a profound effect on the price in the UK and the criminals involved.”
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Source: BBC
