Almost a ton of cocaine has been seized and two men charged in a National Crime Agency investigation.
The Class A drugs were seized at Southampton Docks after the container they were in had sailed from Nicaragua via Panama to the UK.
Acting in partnership with the NCA, Border Force officers opened the container and found 943kg of cocaine with a street value of around £75m among pallets of bananas.
Last night (Wednesday 18 March), two men were charged with importing Class A drugs.
Daniel Dumitru, 37, of Reginald Road, Smethwick, West Mids, and Andrew Smyth, 46, of West Park Gardens, Prenton, Merseyside, will appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday 19 March).
NCA Branch Commander Saju Sasikumar said: “This is a massive amount of cocaine which was destined for the streets of the UK.
“The supply of Class A drugs badly damages society by bringing violence and addiction to our communities.
“Seizing these drugs deprives the crime group behind the importation of huge profits that cannot be ploughed back into further offending.”
19 March 2026
UPDATE
A third man has been charged as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into a large seizure of cocaine.
Joshua Berry, 28, of Bransgore, Hampshire, appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court today (Saturday 28 March).
The class A drugs were seized at Southampton Docks after the container they were in had sailed from Nicaragua via Panama to the UK.
Acting in partnership with the NCA, Border Force officers opened the container and found 943kg of cocaine with a street value of around £75m among pallets of bananas.
Two other men were charged on 18 March in relation to the same seizure. All three men have been remanded in custody and are next expected to appear before Southampton Crown Court on 17 April.
28 March 2026
