Fishing boat containing 400 kilos of coke stopped off Kent coast this morning - four men arrested

Around 400 kilos of cocaine was on board a fishing boat that was stopped off the coast of Kent today.

National Crime Agency (NCA) officers arrested four men and seized approximately the load of the class A drugs after it was stopped at sea.

Border Force officers intercepted the vessel this morning, Sunday November 10 2024, and located the drugs haul (pictured above).

Three men on board, aged 64, 45 and 25, were arrested on suspicion of importing class A drugs and conveyed to police custody to be questioned by NCA investigators. 

A fourth man aged 36 was arrested in Rainham, East London  

NCA Operations Manager Jules Harriman said: "This amount of cocaine will represent a significant loss for the organised crime group that attempted to import it into the UK. With our partners at Border Force and the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC), we have successfully removed this harmful drug consignment from the criminal marketplace. Our investigation into this importation continues."

Danny Hewitt, Director of Border Force National Operational HQ said: "This is a significant seizure and demonstrates how Border Force work closely with partners at the National Crime Agency to stop these toxic drugs from hitting our streets in the first place.

"We continue to work tirelessly to protect our borders and keep the public safe."