The drug package was discovered by passers-by
A tonne of cocaine worth approximately £80 million has washed up on two separate beaches on the Sussex coast.
The drugs were first discovered by passers-by who spotted the two consignments on beaches near Hastings and Newhaven in East Sussex.
Sussex police were made aware of the discovery and the drugs have now been taken to a secure location.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed on Twitter that an investigation is now underway following the discovery of the cocaine.
The NCA said that the A class drugs, which were transported in waterproof bags and tied to to life jackets to help them float, are thought to have originated in South America.
Two separate consignments of packages were located on beaches near Hastings and Newhaven yesterday. Passers-by made the discovery and alerted @sussex_police, who removed the drugs from both beaches and took them to a secure location. pic.twitter.com/weJJoH0uab
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) May 25, 2021
Martin Grace, NCA Branch Commander, said in a statement: “This is a significant amount of class A drugs which we think originated in South America, but we are keeping an open mind about how the drugs washed up here and where the end destination might have been.
“Clearly though losing a consignment of this size this will represent a significant hit to the criminal networks involved.
“Our investigation is being assisted by both Sussex Police and Border Force, and is also likely to involve international partners.”
