The city is becoming a doorway for drugs – as experts warn Latin America cartels see Britain as the “country of choice” for cocaine smuggling.
Last month, the National Crime Agency (NCA) – dubbed Britain’s FBI – made its biggest Class A drugs bust ever when £450million of cocaine was found in cartons of bananas in Southampton’s port.
And the boom in illegal imports is being felt on the city’s streets, too, as local drug lords arm teenagers with guns and crossbows to protect their growing empires in bitter postcode battles.
Residents say Southampton is blighted by “blatant” drug use, with dealers using car parks as hubs and needles left discarded on streets.
One said: “You see lines of cars at 3am waiting for calls to pick off and drop off drugs. People will kill anybody for a tiny amount of drugs.”
NCA bosses tell The Sun that British ports like Southampton are facing increased threat from drug smugglers as Brits clamour for cocaine.
One in every 40 people admits to using coke, earning the UK the unenviable title of the ‘coke capital of Europe’.
The record bust followed a number of other huge seizures at the port.
Cops last year smashed a Southampton drugs ring which imported drugs from Canada, Europe, and America, then recruited kids as young as 15 who were given guns, crossbows, and knives.
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/10665383/southampton-seaside-drugs-cartels-cocaine-battle-control/
