£5m of cocaine seized after ship docks from Colombia

COCAINE worth £5 million has been seized from a merchant ship that arrived in Scotland from Colombia, the has revealed.

UK Borders Agency (UKBA) search teams and divers, along with police from the Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), raided the foreign-registered boat at Hunterston Quay in Ayrshire yesterday.

They found 10kg of cocaine destined for the streets of Scotland. However, the UKBA said no-one had been arrested or detained in connection with the bust.

Murdo MacMillan, its assistant director in Scotland, said: “The UK Border Agency is at the forefront of the fight to stop illegal drugs entering the UK.

“We are determined to protect society from this activity which can have such a destructive impact on local communities as well as individuals. Anyone with information about suspected smuggling should contact our hotline on 0800 59 5000.”

It is one of the largest seizures of cocaine in Scotland and is a further success for the SCDEA in its war against drug traffickers. Last year, the agency seized 80.5kg of Class A drugs and has put greater focus on using intelligence both from home and abroad