One of four bags that each contained 25 packages of cocaine, arrived on a ship from Colombia. (GP)

Cocaine arrives in UK in banana shipment

Cocaine with a street value of £7.5m has been discovered hidden in a shipment of bananas from Colombia.

Border Force officers found 103kg (227lb) of the Class A drug on January 6 while searching a vessel that had arrived at the Port of Southampton.

The government agency said its officers could be “proud of their work in preventing this drug consignment from reaching our communities”.

The Home Office has been asked whether any arrests have been made.

The ship was selected for inspection by officers after a scan identified an “anomaly”, the Home Office said.

They subsequently found 20 pallets of bananas on board containing four holdalls, each of which was packed with about 25 wraps of cocaine.

Tim Kingsberry, regional director of Border Force South, said: “Drug supply chains are violent and exploitative, degrading neighbourhoods across our country.

“This seizure, and others like it, send a clear message to anyone considering attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country that we remain committed and prepared to tackle drug supply chains.” (BBC)