Five Tonnes of Cocaine Worth $540M Seized in UK

The UK authorities seized approximately five tonnes of cocaine, valued at $540 million, at London's main port terminal. This operation, conducted by British border officials, is noted as one of the largest single drug hauls, with nearly 2,800 packets discovered hidden within a shipment of bananas.

The smugglers took extreme measures to avoid detection by replicating the exact shape and weight of banana boxes to conceal the drugs among the fruit. A statement from the Home Office indicated that this seizure follows another significant find last month, where cocaine worth £80 million was discovered on a ship carrying South American wine.

The Home Office reported that nearly 150 tonnes of illegal drugs were seized by border forces in the year ending March.