Police have charged three men after cocaine with an estimated street value of £35 million was found on a small boat off the coast of Sussex. 

The Metropolitan Police, supported by the National Crime Agency and Border Force, seized 350kg of the drug from a Kingfisher Sports Explorer boat.

Scotland Yard detectives were deployed to Eastbourne, Sussex on Saturday night where they intercepted the boat as it moored in the harbour.

Three men were charged and remanded for conspiracy to import Class A drugs.

The cocaine was seized after police received intelligence about the boat’s suspicious movements in the Channel.

Detective Inspector Lydia Stephens, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “We are committed to tackling the impact of Class A drugs on our communities.

“This huge, significant shipment was destined for the streets of London via ‘city lines’ drugs gangs, 80% of whom have a history of violence linked to murder.

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“Targeting them will help safeguard children exploited by them and drive down serious violence in the capital.”

Martin French, senior intelligence manager at the National Crime Agency, said: “The loss of this cocaine means it will not contribute to the misery and chaos that the Class A drugs market causes in our communities.

“Working with partners such as the Metropolitan Police and Border Force, the NCA will continue to protect the public by working at home and abroad to combat serious organised crime threats to the UK.”

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