Border authorities in the United Kingdom made a significant drug bust recently, seizing 2.4 tonnes of cocaine valued at $132 million. This operation took place at the London Gateway port, where the illegal shipment arrived from Panama. Charlie Eastaugh, the Maritime director for the Border Force, described the seizure as one of the largest in the country’s history.
The UK’s Home Office confirmed that this haul is recorded as the sixth-largest cocaine seizure ever. The cocaine was hidden beneath containers on the ship, and specialist officers detected it through an intelligence-led operation. They had to move 37 large containers to access the drugs.
Cocaine use has been on the rise in the UK, which is one of Europe’s largest markets for the drug. The National Crime Agency reported a 31 percent increase in cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales between 2022 and 2023. This alarming trend highlights the growing problem of drug abuse in the region.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently stated that the cocaine trade continues to thrive globally. Their annual World Drug Report shows cocaine as the fastest-growing illicit drug market. Colombian production of the drug has surged, driven by rising demand in Europe and the Americas. The number of cocaine users worldwide has also increased, reaching about 25 million in 2023, up from 17 million a decade ago.
This seizure underscores the ongoing challenges authorities face in combating drug trafficking and the significant impact of cocaine on public health and safety.