Cocaine haul worth £4,000,000 found hidden in sweet potatoes and yams
More than £4 million worth of cocaine hidden in sweet potatoes and yams has been seized at Gatwick Airport in recent weeks.
Packages of the class A drug were confiscated by Border Force after being detected in freight on flights from Kingston, Jamaica.
Some 22kg of cocaine was seized on August 11, estimated to be worth £1.8 million, while a further 30kg was seized on August 18, worth £2.4 million.
Both hauls were concealed within vegetables, the Home Office said.
On August 25, some 3kg of cocaine suspended in liquid with an estimated street value of £250,000 was discovered.
Tim Kingsberry, regional director for Border Force South, said: ‘Through the diligence and hard work of Border Force officers, we have prevented millions of pounds of cocaine from reaching Britain’s streets.
‘I hope this detection sends a clear message to anyone who thinks they can smuggle dangerous drugs into the UK. We will find and confiscate these items and we will bring you to justice.’
Gatwick National Crime Agency branch commander Mark McCormack said: ‘Working with our colleagues at Border Force, we are determined to do all we can to stop class A drugs reaching the streets of the UK, where they can cause so much damage.
‘These seizures are an example of that in action, and our investigations are ongoing.’
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