Drug smugglers are hiding more narcotics shipments inside expensive pieces of industrial equipment so they can potentially secure huge compensation payouts, intelligence suggests. On Tuesday, the Home Office revealed crime gangs stored more than a tonne of cocaine – worth £72million – in two industrial generators worth £360,000 each.
Officers also seized more than 100kg of methamphetamine with a street value of £8million stuffed into a shipment of highly valuable solar water heaters weighing over a tonne, which arrived from Mexico. Drugs have also been found hidden in crane arms. Smugglers often use “decoy” runs, meaning Border Force could face huge compensation bills totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds if they break items during searches.
Home Office minister Mike Tapp said: “Vile drug smugglers thought the threat of a huge damages bill would scare Border Force off intercepting this deadly cocaine haul.
“Our first-class officers were one step ahead, using their experience and nous to cost criminal gangs £72million.
“Under our Plan for Change, we continue to work with international partners to secure our borders and prevent dangerous drugs from inflicting misery on our streets.”
The Home Office believes it is on course for another record-breaking year of cocaine seizures.
A record 28 tonnes of cocaine was seized last year as Britain’s drugs crisis intensified.
Border Force and police forces confiscated 28.27 tonnes of cocaine, up 52% on the previous year.
In total, more than £3billion worth of cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine, cannabis and ketamine was taken off the streets in the year to March.
Home Office figures revealed Border Force seized over 74 tonnes of herbal cannabis last year.
Officials said this was the largest quantity since records began in 1973, and a 58% increase from the previous year.
Police chiefs have warned that the threat drugs pose to the UK has intensified, with cocaine production at record highs.
And the figures, published by the Home Office, illustrate how organised crime gangs are trying to flood Britain’s streets with cocaine.
Border Force intercepted a record 105.73 tonnes of drugs, which is the “highest weight” seized since records began
A number of factors are behind the explosive growth in the consumption of cocaine, including record levels of global production and the drug’s changing image.
While prices have remained virtually unchanged – a gram of cocaine cost £55 in 2023, compared to £50 in 2011 – the purity of cocaine is on the rise.
