Nearly three tonnes of cocaine said to be worth more than £200 million has been found hidden in banana boxes.The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Border Force officers seized the 2.9-tonne shipment at London Gateway Port in Essex on Thursday.The haul, with an estimated street value of £232 million, was found hidden in a load of bananas from South America.Nine men were arrested and later released on bail.Dave Phillips, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “This is a very significant seizure which has deprived the organised crime group behind it of huge profits.“That is money that cannot be ploughed back into further crime.“Class A drugs wreck lives, they are toxic and can devastate our communities.“The NCA will continue to combat the threat of class A drugs with partners at home, such as Border Force, and further upstream in source and transit countries.”The haul, with an estimated street value of £232 million, was found hidden in a load of bananas from South America (National Crime Agency)In February 2024, the NCA and Border Force made what is believed to be the biggest seizure of class A drugs in the UK.Almost six tonnes of cocaine was found in a container at Southampton Port, hidden in a cargo of bananas from South America.In October 2025, the Home Office said more than £1 billion of the drug had been intercepted in a “record-breaking” summer.Between 1 June and 31 August last year, Border Force officers confiscated 15.6 tonnes of the substance, the department said.