Lines in the sand: $60 million worth of cocaine washes up on eastern English beach

by Alistair Smout

 

A law enforcement officer stands by holdalls containing cocaine that were washed up on Hopton Beach, near Great Yarmouth, Britain February 9, 2017. Photograph taken February 9, 2017. National Crime Agency/Handout via Reuters

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Over $60 million dollars' worth of cocaine in brightly colored holdalls has washed up on two beaches in eastern England, investigators said on Friday as they appealed for the public to keep a lookout for any more.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it was examining the discoveries near the resort of Great Yarmouth, some 140 miles (200 km) northeast of London.

The first holdalls were discovered on Thursday afternoon and more were found nearby on Friday.

In all, around 360 kg of cocaine has been washed ashore in what the NCA called "a major blow to the organized criminals involved."

"We are now ... trying to establish how the bags ended up where they did," said Matthew Rivers, from the NCA's border investigation team.

"It is extremely unlikely that this was their intended destination."

Police Superintendent Dave Buckley said he believed all the packages had now been recovered but appealed for anyone finding more to contact police immediately.

"We will have extra officers in the area to monitor the situation," he cautioned.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-11

I am sure there will be a claim for missing luggage..    

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

"It is extremely unlikely that this was their intended destination."

 

You think Sherlock?   anyway, look like someone is about to lose his

head over this fiasco.....

Wonder what happened to the other 140kg? 

60 million....where u selling ur coke?

No worries, the owner will turn up and collect his lost property, I'm sure.....

As if we ever needed proof that the cartels are numpties who could not run a regular business ever - they put the cocaine in good quality bags and each bag contains several million dollars worth of cocaine but they don't bother putting any GPS/trackers on any of the bags when they send them off to sea.

I used to live about 15 miles inland from there. Now why could'nt i be the lucky one walking the dog and finding that? Even just one holdall...

From the headline I envisaged the coke floating on the water, with lots of smiling fish nearby.

18 hours ago, humqdpf said:

As if we ever needed proof that the cartels are numpties who could not run a regular business ever - they put the cocaine in good quality bags and each bag contains several million dollars worth of cocaine but they don't bother putting any GPS/trackers on any of the bags when they send them off to sea.

 

because of electronic surveillance.