UK and Hong Kong authorities report major drug seizures

Authorities in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong have reported significant drug seizures in recent operations.

In the UK, Border Force officers intercepted illegal drugs valued at over £160 million at a single port within one month. At Southampton Port, multiple shipments of cocaine were discovered concealed among banana pallets and in other containers, with individual seizures valued at £38 million, £47 million, and £76 million. Additionally, 290 kilograms of cannabis worth £1.2 million were found hidden in a hardwood flooring shipment. The Home Office noted that total seizures by Border Force reached 150 tonnes, valued at £2.6 billion, for the year ending March 2025.

In Hong Kong, a month-long operation code-named ‘Fire Mesh’ led to the arrest of 10 individuals and the seizure of cannabis buds worth approximately HK$56 million (US$7 million). Customs officials intercepted roughly 240kg of cannabis being smuggled from Southeast Asia toward Europe and Africa. The suspects, holding British, French, US, and Thai passports, were identified through X-ray scans of suspicious luggage at the airport.