£10 million worth of cocaine found underwater off Kent coast after being unearthed by divers

A substantial haul of cocaine valued at £10 million was recently confiscated after divers unearthed it underwater off the Kent coast. Discovered on October 14 by the Border Force National Deep Rummage Team, the 137kg (302lb) of drugs were concealed in four large North Face holdalls at Sheerness Port. 

The find was tucked away inside a sea chest within a segment of a shipping container designed to take in seawater for stabilization. The container, which was registered in Panama and transporting bananas to the Netherlands, has prompted the NCA to collaborate with authorities in both countries to identify the origin of the cocaine. 

The discovery marks one of two instances where underwater caches of class A drugs have been found along the UK coastline. In a separate incident in Bristol in November 2021, 46kg (101.4 pounds) of cocaine was discovered in a similar operation. The Border Force team received support from specialist Met Police divers, who conducted the operation in challenging conditions. 

David Phillips, the National Crime Agency's operations manager, emphasized the complexity of the concealment, illustrating the extensive lengths that criminal networks will go to in order to circulate dangerous drugs like cocaine. “The sale of such class A drugs is controlled by gangs who inflict violence and exploitation in our communities. 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.”