NEARLY two tonnes of herbal cannabis worth over £5 million was seized by Border Force officers at London Gateway – the biggest seizure of the Class B drug made at the port.

The drugs had been concealed in a refrigerated container of yams and gari powder that had been shipped from Ghana. The drugs – which had been wrapped in cling film and covered with white paper - were discovered in the bottom of cardboard boxes, hidden under a layer of yams.

The total weight of the drugs was 1.92 tonnes, with an estimated street value of £5.5m. The drugs were seized on Tuesday, February 10.

The case was referred to the National Crime Agency’s Border Policing Command for further investigation.

Meryl Coull, Border Force Senior Officer at London Gateway, said: “This was an excellent detection, the biggest seizure of cannabis made at London Gateway. Results like this demonstrate the vital work Border Force officers are doing on the front line to keep illegal drugs and other banned substances off the UK’s streets.”

Border Force officers use high-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.

In addition to sniffer dogs, Border Force officers use an array of search techniques, including carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners - as well as visual searches - to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and tobacco which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling can call our hotline on 0800 59 5000.