Massive cannabis shipment stopped before reaching UK port
Authorities have arrested three people in south Wales after one of the largest cannabis seizures ever recorded in the UK, valued at around £139 million.
Police recovered about 12 tonnes of cannabis hidden inside shipping containers that were en route to a port in southern England. The shipment had been transported from Canada.
International operation uncovered at Southampton route
The case began when the Canada Border Services Agency stopped a suspicious shipment headed for the United Kingdom. That alert triggered a wider investigation.
UK officers later traced two containers linked to the case. Inside, investigators found roughly 1,200 boxes filled with cannabis packed in black bags.
The containers were moving through the supply chain toward Southampton Port when they were intercepted.
Arrests carried out in South Wales
Following the investigation, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit carried out coordinated raids on 16 June.
Two men and one woman, all aged in their 30s and 40s, were detained at addresses in Merthyr Tydfil, Ebbw Vale, and Abertillery in Blaenau Gwent.
All three were arrested on suspicion of helping to bring the drugs into the UK. They remain in police custody while enquiries continue.
Authorities call it a major drug trafficking case
Officials described the operation as a record-breaking seizure. A UK government minister said the case highlights the scale of illegal drug imports and called it part of a harmful trade affecting communities.
