Over £200 million of cocaine found in banana boxes at Felixstowe port

A massive seizure of cocaine, estimated to be worth over £232 million, has been intercepted at the Port of Felixstowe. Border Force officers discovered 2.9 tons of the Class A drug concealed within a shipment of bananas originating from South America.

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This is a very large amount of seized drugs, which has deprived the organized crime group behind it of a huge profit.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) described the haul as a significant blow to organized crime, stating that the confiscated drugs represent a substantial loss of profit for the criminal group behind the operation. "This is money that will not be used to fund further criminal activity," said NCA Senior Investigating Officer Dave Phillips.

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This is money that will not be used to fund further criminal activity.

Nine people were arrested in connection with the seizure. However, they have all since been released on bail pending further investigation. The NCA emphasized the destructive impact of Class A drugs on communities and reiterated its commitment to combating the threat through collaboration with national and international partners.

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Class A drugs destroy people's lives, they are poisonous and can cause great harm to our communities.

This seizure follows a previous large-scale operation in February 2024, where the NCA and Border Force confiscated nearly six tons of cocaine from a banana shipment in Southampton. In October 2025, the Home Office reported that over £1 billion worth of drugs were seized during a "record-breaking" summer, with Border Force officers confiscating 15.6 tons of illicit substances between June 1 and August 31 of the previous year.

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Working with national partners, such as Border Force, as well as partners in countries of origin and transit, the NCA will continue to combat the threat posed by such drugs.