Officers have intercepted a massive cocaine haul worth more than £53 million at a major UK port, and police arrested a man in Manchester shortly after. The bust ranks among the largest drug seizures seen at a British port in recent years.

The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU) confirmed the discovery at London Gateway port, near Thurrock in Essex, on Friday 13 February 2026. Working alongside UK Border Force, officers recovered approximately 536 kilograms of cocaine from the site.

Man Charged After Cocaine Haul Discovery

Police arrested a 44-year-old man in the Manchester area in connection with the cocaine haul. The suspect comes from the Goole area of East Yorkshire. Officers charged him with conspiracy to import Class A drugs.

He also faces a separate charge of conspiracy to import 872 kilograms of cannabis in November 2025. He appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Sunday 16 February. The court remanded him in custody to appear at Leeds Crown Court in March.

Drug Seizure Highlights Scale of Criminal Networks

This drug seizure exposes how aggressively organised crime networks push harmful substances into British communities. At street level, a single kilogram of cocaine in the UK fetches between £40,000 and £50,000. That puts the value of 536 kilograms at well over £53 million.

YHROCU led the operation. The unit tackles serious and organised crime across the Yorkshire and Humber region. Border Force played a key role in spotting and stopping the cocaine haul before it could enter the supply chain.

Ramona Senior, head of YHROCU, called the result a significant disruption. She said: “By working in partnership with UK Border Force, we have made a significant disruption to the supply of harmful drugs coming into Yorkshire and the Humber.”

Cocaine Haul Among Largest at UK Ports

This cocaine haul sits among the biggest port interceptions in recent UK history. Cocaine remains the second most commonly used drug in England and Wales among adults aged 16 to 59, according to Home Office figures. Border Force intercepted record quantities of Class A drugs at entry points during 2022 to 2023, and enforcement agencies report that pressure on ports has stayed high since.

London Gateway, operated by DP World, is one of the UK’s busiest deep-water container terminals. It processes millions of tonnes of cargo every year, which makes spotting a drug seizure of this scale a genuine intelligence-led achievement.

Investigation Ongoing

Police have not confirmed whether further arrests are coming, but operations like this usually span multiple agencies and can uncover wider networks over time.

This drug seizure, covering both cocaine and cannabis, shows the scale at which criminal groups operate across the country. It also highlights the ongoing effort regional and national agencies put in to keep these substances off the streets.

Anyone with information about suspected drug activity can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Source: dbrecoveryresources