HIGH TIDE
TONNE of cocaine worth £80 million washes up on Sussex coast after locals spot baggies tied to life jackets
A TONNE of cocaine worth £80 million has washed up on British shores in one of the biggest drug hauls in history.
The Class A gear has been bobbing to the surface and landing on Sussex beaches since Monday, with locals spotting waterproof baggies tied to life jackets to make them float.
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The drugs, thought to have originated in South America, have been recovered near Hastings and Newhaven.
National Crime Agency investigators - Britain’s FBI - said the find will be a “significant hit” to the gangs behind it.
A passerby discovered the first consignment shortly before 6am on a pebble beach between St Leonards-on-Sea and Hastings.
They alerted cops, and another haul weighing around 250 kilos was found by walkers later that morning at Newhaven.
The drugs weighed a combined total of 960 kilos which, if cut, has a street value of £80million.
The Sun understands the load has been under armed guard at a secret, secure location.
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On Monday, dozens of cops and police vans swarmed the seafronts at both locations and shut them down to locals.
Armed police sealed off a car park at Newhaven after the load was found there at around 11am.
Firefighters helped move the drugs, which were taken away to the undisclosed site.
The Sun understands a package of cash was also found – though the value is not known.
A source said: “It’s believed that could’ve been the fee for whoever was supposed to be collecting it. They’ve lost out on a huge bung.”
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The NCA is carrying out the investigation with police and Border Force to find out how it arrived in the UK.
Martin Grace, NCA Branch Commander, said: “This is a significant amount of class A drugs which we think originated in South America, but we are keeping an open mind about how the drugs washed up here and where the end destination might have been.
“Clearly though losing a consignment of this size this will represent a significant hit to the criminal networks involved.
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“Our investigation is being assisted by both Sussex Police and Border Force, and is also likely to involve international partners.”
Full forensics tests are yet to take place on the substance but initial examinations were positive for cocaine.
In February, the NCA busted £184million worth of Colombian cocaine which arrived at Portsmouth in a consignment of bananas.
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