October 28th 2023.
On October 14th, a joint investigation between the National Crime Agency, the Metropolitan Police, and Border Force uncovered a staggering consignment of cocaine worth £10,000,000 at Sheerness Port in Kent. Hidden deep within a container ship, the 137kg haul was found in four large holdalls placed below the water line inside the sea chest.
The success of the operation was due to the hard work of a team of specialist Met Police divers, who conducted an underwater search of the ship’s hull in poor visibility conditions. With the assistance of officers from the Border Force National Deep Rummage Team and port operator Peel Ports, the divers managed to recover the drugs that were hiding behind bolted-up grills. The entire operation took five hours.
David Phillips, NCA’s operations manager, said: ‘This was an extremely rare and sophisticated concealment, and shows how far criminal networks will go to get dangerous drugs like cocaine into circulation. The sale of such class A drugs is controlled by gangs who inflict violence and exploitation in our communities.’
He added: ‘I’d like to thank the Metropolitan Police’s Diving Team, who worked in challenging conditions to recover the drugs, assisted by our colleagues in Border Force. Such collaboration shows our collective determination to tackle organised criminal groups head-on, and stem the supply of harmful drugs like cocaine.’
The Met Police spokesperson elaborated: ‘Our diving operations team were conducting an underwater search of the ship’s hull. This required detailed planning and partnership working to ensure this was a controlled, safe and effective diving operation. All of the teams worked collaboratively to manage the risks which included reduced visibility, tidal movements and depth of the water.’
The NCA are now working with law enforcement in the Netherlands and Panama. Stephen Whitton, deputy director of Border Force Maritime Command, said: ‘The combined efforts of the NCA, the Met Police, and Border Force, have prevented £10 million worth of cocaine from plaguing our streets and countries nearby. Border Force remain committed to working round the clock to intercept drug supply chains and will continue to work closely with our counterparts to identify and prevent the new methods criminals take to smuggling illegal drugs, in or out of the UK.’
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