Cocaine valued at £7.5m discorvered in Colombian banana shipment

Cocaine with a street value of £7.5 million was discovered disguised in a cargo of Colombian bananas.

Cocaine discovered in Colombian banana shipment on the 6th of January, Border Force officials discovered 103kg (227lb) of the Class A narcotic while checking a vessel that had docked in Southampton.

Officers at the government agency may be “proud of their job in stopping this drug consignment from reaching our communities,” according to the agency.

If any arrests have been made, the Home Office has been contacted.

The Home Office said the ship was selected for inspection by officers after a scan identified an “anomaly”.

They subsequently found 20 pallets of bananas on board containing four holdalls, each of which was packed with about 25 wraps of cocaine.

Tim Kingsberry, regional director of Border Force South, said: “Drug supply chains are violent and exploitative, degrading neighbourhoods across our country.

“This seizure, and others like it, send a clear message to anyone considering attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country that we remain committed and prepared to tackle drug supply chains.