Three people have been arrested in connection to the raid
Almost 12 tonnes of cannabis were seized by Border Force at Southampton Port(Image: @ukhomeoffice/x)
Border Force officers have pulled off a record‑breaking drugs bust after seizing a staggering 12 tonnes of cannabis worth an estimated £139 million, the Home Office has confirmed.
The enormous haul, around 1,200 boxes stuffed into two shipping containers, was uncovered at Southampton after the shipment arrived from Canada. Intelligence teams worked hand‑in‑hand with Canadian officials and UK law‑enforcement to track the containers as they made their way across the Atlantic.
The load was intercepted on May 6, smashing the previous record cannabis seizure by a full four tonnes and delivering a major blow to the organised crime gangs behind the operation, according to the Mirror.
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“Congratulations to our brilliant Border Force officers for this record-breaking haul,” Migration minister Mike Tapp said after the bust was made.
“We will not allow criminal gangs to profit from misery and peddle their vile trade. More than ever before, we are working with policing and international partners to secure our borders and keep our streets safe.”
The Home Office said the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit arrested three people on suspicion of facilitating importations on Tuesday (June 16).
