A tonne of cocaine worth £100,000,000 found floating in the English Channel

A tonne of cocaine with a street value of around £100,000,000 has been sized by the Home Office after it was found floating in the English Channel.

Hundreds of huge parcels wrapped in plastic were seized by officials after Border Force and RNLI crews were deployed off the Kent coast.

Forensic tests confirmed the substance was cocaine after the packages were brought to shore in Dover early on Wednesday morning.

An investigation has been launched by the Home Office following the discovery.

The Home Office tweeted: "This vital work will continue to stop illegal substances reaching our shores and devastating our communities."

New data released by the government on Thursday revealed that record amounts of cocaine and ketamine were seized by Border Force and police forces between March 2021 and March 2022.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: "We will continue to back Border Force and the police to use every available power to stop dangerous drugs from coming into our country and enforce the law.

"Data released, which includes a record amount of cocaine and ketamine seized, shows the effectiveness of our approach as we continue to go after the criminals who blight so many communities and destroy lives with these harmful substances."

The quantity of cocaine seized by Border Force and police officers in England and Wales increased by 68% to 18,767kg, while the quantity of ketamine confiscated shot up by 884% to 1,837kg.

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The Home Office said Border Force, police forces, the National Crime Agency and international partners use intelligence and technology to keep the borders safe, prevent drug trafficking and bring those responsible to justice.

Steve Dann, Border Force chief operating officer, said: "These seizures send a clear message to anyone prepared to smuggle illegal drugs into the country that we remain committed to tackle often violent and exploitative drug supply chains.

"Border Force officers involved in these seizures can be proud of their work in stopping these dangerous drugs from entering our communities."