Southampton £300m cocaine seizure 'biggest ever' in UK

THE BIGGEST EVER seizure of Class A drugs in the UK has been made in Southampton, authorities say, with the record haul of £300million worth of cocaine.

The stash, which was 90 per cent pure, was found on a 65ft luxury yacht on Southampton docks. It was hidden so well that it took investigators six days to locate it under the vessel’s bathing platform, the Guardian reports.

The 1,200kg (1.2 tonne) haul is the largest ever in the UK according to both the the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) said.

Police have also arrested six alleged members of an international drug gang as a result of the seizure.

The luxury yacht, named the Louise, had reportedly begun its journey in South America and the traveled to the Netherlands. It aroused the suspicion of the French and Dutch authorities who passed on intelligence to the UK Border Agency, reports the BBC.

Brodie Clark, head of the UKBA’s border force is quoted by the Financial Times as saying: “It’s a major seizure… it was difficult to find. Skilful people spent a number of days looking for it.”