UNITED KINGDOM - Bananas have been the victim of another drug smuggling attempt as authorities in the United Kingdom discovered a total of 5.7 tons of cocaine disguised within a box of bananas. The total drug shipment was estimated to be worth upwards of $570 million.

"This is a massive financial hit for a crime group and that will seriously disrupt them," Andy Mason, the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) drug threat lead told reporters at BBC. "We've seen high levels of seizures across Europe [in recent years] but we are in a cocaine market where production continues to increase in South America."

The NCA reported that the drugs were en route to Hamburg, Germany. At the port of Southampton, the cargo was inspected, during which officials found dozens of boxes of unripe bananas with packs of cocaine hidden among the fruit.

As Men’s Journal reported, this seizure has set a record for the biggest Class A drug bust by weight in the country's history.

"While the destination for the consignment was continental Europe in this case, I have no doubt that a significant proportion would have ended up back here in the U.K., being peddled by U.K. criminal gangs," NCA Director Chris Farrimond said. "Working closely with U.K. partners like Border Force, we are determined to do all we can to protect the U.K. public."

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