Thatcher backed secret plan to eradicate coca crops using moths

Newly declassified documents reveal that former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher backed a clandestine operation to destroy coca crops in South America by deploying swarms of leaf-eating moths.

The extraordinary plan, conceived during the height of Britain's war on drugs, aimed to disrupt the supply of cocaine by targeting its raw material. Researchers at Porton Down, a military science park in Wiltshire, were tasked with breeding thousands of Eloria noyesi moths. These insects' larvae exclusively consume coca leaves, the essential ingredient for cocaine production. The intention was to release these moths via helicopter over coca plantations in Peru.

Government documents indicate that Thatcher's administration allocated approximately £100,000 to develop this biological weapon. Officials believed the moth could serve as a cost-effective and efficient tool against powerful drug cartels. The idea reportedly stemmed from a natural infestation in Peru between 1987 and 1988, where similar moths destroyed about 2,000 hectares of illegal coca crops, causing an estimated $37 million in losses for traffickers. Peruvian authorities subsequently sought British expertise for a large-scale breeding program.

Thatcher personally endorsed the project's continuation, deeming the concept "interesting enough to be worth pursuing." However, the plan was ultimately shelved. Concerns arose regarding its technical feasibility, potential environmental consequences, and the long-term impact on cocaine production, which the Home Office concluded would likely be temporary. By late 1989, ministers also feared that any leak of information could compromise the operation and endanger those involved, leading to the abandonment of the ambitious anti-drug strategy.

“

sufficiently interesting to be worth pursuing