One tonne of cocaine discovered in banana shipment in Southampton

Almost one tonne of cocaine was discovered inside a shipment of bananas in Southampton last week after it was thought to have travelled from Nicaragua via Panama to the UK.

Authorities intercepted the shipment on Wednesday, March 18, which contained 943kg of cocaine packaged in black plastic alongside dozens of pallets of bananas.

An investigation was launched by the National Criminal Agency (NCA) and two men from the UK were subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the drug shipment.

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“This is a massive amount of cocaine which was destined for the streets of the UK,” the NCA said, predicting the drug’s street price at around £75 million.

37-year-old Daniel Dumitru from the West Midlands and 46-year-old Andrew Smyth from Merseyside were both charged with importing class A drugs after appearing at Southampton Magistrates' Court.

Investigators warned last week that drug smugglers were becoming “more inventive” in the ways they’re shipping illicit substances, following past reports of drugs found amongst salt shipments, inside broom handles, or even mixed into bottles of red wine (per Sky News).

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"The supply of Class A drugs badly damages society by bringing violence and addiction to our communities,” says NCA branch commander Saju Sasikumar.

"Seizing these drugs deprives the crime group behind the importation of huge profits that cannot be ploughed back into further offending.”

In 2024, a similar shipment of around 5.7 tonnes of cocaine was discovered in Southampton Port amongst stacks of bananas, in what was thought to be the UK’s “largest ever” class A drugs bust at the time.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X