Officers discovered 50kgs of the Class A drug following a search of a container that had arrived at the port from Brazil.
Border Force Assistant Director for Tilbury Mark Kennedy said:
“In amongst a legitimate load of shoes, officers found two holdalls stuffed with shrink-wrapped packages of cocaine.
“By making this seizure, worth an estimated £6 million, Border Force officers have prevented a substantial quantity of what is a vile and destructive drug from ending up on the streets of the UK. In the process we have put a serious dent in the profits of the criminals involved.”
The Border Force seizure was made on Thursday (27 August).
Border Force officers are the front line in protecting the country and play a key role in detecting illegal immigration, disrupting serious and organised crime and helping to prevent the threat of terrorism. Border Force also protects the UK’s revenue, contributing to the nation’s prosperity and growth.
They use an array of search techniques including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners - as well as visual searches - to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and tobacco which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.
Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling can call our hotline on 0800 59 5000.