Almost a tonne of cocaine thought to be worth around £80million has been seized after washing up on UK beaches.
Two consignments of the Class A drug were found on the pebbles near Hastings and Newhaven in East Sussex on Monday.
They were discovered by passers-by in multiple waterproof bags with lifejackets attached to make them float.
Sussex Police were alerted who removed the drugs to a secure location.
Samples tested positive for cocaine and a full forensic examination will now be carried out.
The packages have a combined weight of 960 kilos - the approximate weight of a small car - and are estimated to be worth around £80 million if cut and sold on UK streets.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has now opened an investigation and is linking the two discoveries - believing they may have travelled all the way from South America.
NCA Branch Commander Martin Grace said: “This is a significant amount of class A drugs which we think originated in South America, but we are keeping an open mind about how the drugs washed up here and where the end destination might have been.
“Clearly though losing a consignment of this size this will represent a significant hit to the criminal networks involved.
“Our investigation is being assisted by both Sussex Police and Border Force, and is also likely to involve international partners.”
A passer-by discovered the first batch of drugs on a beach between St Leonards-on-Sea and Hastings at around 6am on Monday.
Another haul was found in Newhaven at around 11am, with armed police sealing off the area.
A package of cash was also seized by police, according to The Sun.
A source told the newspaper: “It’s believed that could’ve been the fee for whoever was supposed to be collecting it. They’ve lost out on a huge bung.”
