British border officials have intercepted 2.4 metric tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of £96 million ($132 million) at London Gateway port in Essex, calling it one of the United Kingdom’s largest narcotics seizures in years. The drugs were discovered beneath 37 shipping containers on a vessel that had travelled from Panama. The haul, identified earlier this month through an intelligence-led investigation, was seized when the ship docked this week. The Home Office said the operation represents the sixth-largest cocaine seizure since records began. Charlie Eastaugh, maritime director at UK Border Force, said the bust delivers a significant financial and operational blow to the criminal networks involved and underscores the agency’s use of intelligence and international law-enforcement cooperation. Authorities note that Britain remains a major European market for cocaine, with cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales rising 31 percent between 2022 and 2023.