The UK Border Force recently announced what is reportedly one of the largest drug busts in the country’s history.

Authorities did not disclose the specific vessel involved but confirmed that the container ship had arrived at London Gateway Port from Panama. Smugglers went to great lengths to conceal the cargo, hiding the drugs deep within a container loaded with legitimate goods.

Working closely with the London Gateway port operator, the Border Force’s maritime team oversaw the removal of 37 containers to access the hidden drugs. The operation lasted nearly two days.

Upon finally inspecting the target container, officials discovered 2.4 tons of cocaine. Border Force estimates the street value of the drugs to be nearly $133 million, making it the sixth-largest cocaine seizure on record in the UK.

European and international law enforcement agencies have been cooperating with ports and shipping companies to implement new anti-smuggling measures. However, Europol estimates that only 10–15% of cocaine shipments are intercepted at European ports. They highlighted the increasingly sophisticated tactics of smugglers, who infiltrate port operations to obtain container release codes or bribe crew members to drop drug packages near the shore for pickup by waiting boats.

This marks the second major drug interception on the Latin America–Europe route, following the seizure of 5.7 tons of drugs earlier this year at the Port of Southampton.