£300m cocaine bust at Southampton Docks 'largest seizure in the UK since 2015'

• ITV News Meridian's Will Walters reports from Southampton Docks

A recent haul of cocaine hydrochloride, found hidden inside pallets of bananas at Southampton Docks, has been described by the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, as "the largest seizure of cocaine in the UK since 2015."

The bust was made on the 17 March, in a joint operation between Border Force and the National Crime Agency.

More than 3.7 tonnes of cocaine hydrochloride was found concealed within a container of 20 pallets of bananas.

The container had recently arrived from Colombia and was targeted for examination.

The estimated street value of the cocaine is worth in the region of £302 million.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:  “This is the largest seizure of cocaine in the UK since 2015. It should serve as a warning to anyone trying to smuggle illegal drugs into the country that we are out to get them.

“The police and Border Force have my 100 per cent backing to use all available powers to stop devastating drugs from coming into our neighbourhoods and destroying lives.”

Peter Stevens, NCA regional head of investigations, said: “This was a monumental seizure of cocaine with a street value of around £300 million.

“The organised crime group behind this importation has been denied massive profits which it would have ploughed back into more offending.

“There’s no doubt some of this cocaine would have been cut up and sold across UK streets, feeding crime and misery in our communities."