Border Force has seized a record-breaking 12 tonnes of cannabis as part of a major international operation.
The staggering haul deprives organised crime of an estimated £139 million in revenue.
The illegal drugs were detected last month at Southampton Port, crammed into two shipping containers from Canada.
Officers found 1,200 boxes of cannabis inside them weighing around 12 tonnes – making it Border Force’s largest ever cannabis seizure.
Working with Canadian partners and UK law enforcement, expert Home Office intelligence analysts identified the two containers on their way to Southampton, priming officers to make the seizure.
The previous largest cannabis seizure that Border Force undertook was just under 8 tonnes (7,955 kilos) in April 2017 at Southampton Port.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Mike Tapp said
Congratulations to our brilliant Border Force officers for this record-breaking haul.
We will not allow criminal gangs to profit from misery and peddle their vile trade.
More than ever before, we are working with policing and international partners to secure our borders and keep our streets safe.
Border Force Director General, Phil Douglas said
This biggest cannabis seizure ever shows Border Force’s relentless action to stop drugs reaching UK streets and destroying lives.
My thanks to our officers, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, and the Canada Border Services Agency for their dedication, collaboration, and professionalism.
The interception on 6 May 2026 formed a key part of a wider South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) investigation into criminal gangs peddling drugs.
It follows the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) preventing a shipping container with cannabis destined for the UK leaving Canada in April.
SWROCU Acting Inspector, Stuart Cumine, said
Operations like this, working with partners on a national and international level, disrupt criminal networks, deprive them of funds, and protect communities across the UK from the harm that drug supply and other organised criminality causes.
Canada Border Services Agency President, Erin O’Gorman said
These seizures reflect the strength of the combined operational focus and intelligence-sharing efforts between Canadian federal law enforcement and our UK Border Force partners. It is the result of a highly coordinated, intelligence-led approach to disrupting transnational organised crime.
The movement of illegal cannabis fuels organised crime networks, and this seizure underscores our collective commitment to combat these criminal activities and keep our borders strong and secure.
Today (16 June 2026), SWROCU have arrested three people on suspicion of facilitating importations.
May’s huge cannabis seizure builds on a record-breaking year of Border Force action.
According to the latest statistics, almost 150 tonnes of illegal drugs (148 tonnes) were seized by Border Force (year ending March 2025), making it the highest amount since records began.
It also represents a 40% year-on-year rise in the quantity of drugs seized.
