Cocaine worth £5 million has been seized at Sheerness Port after it was found concealed in a container sent from South America.

The drugs were discovered on Sunday by Border Force officers, who were working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) on the island.

The tape-wrapped packages had been concealed in the fan motor space of a container that had arrived from South America.

Around 56kg were recovered which has an estimated street value of £5 million.

This is the second seizure of the Class A drug at Sheerness in the last month.

Just before Christmas seven people were arrested following an NCA-led operation which ended with 1.2 tonnes of cocaine being found.

NCA investigators believe the drugs had arrived on a boat from Costa Rica and were hidden inside a shipment of bananas.

The two seizures at this stage are not being linked.

NCA senior investigating officer Adam Berry said: “This operation has seen criminal groups deprived of a substantial amount of profit.

“Working with our law enforcement partners like Border Force we are determined to do all we can to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs into the UK and prevent the violence and exploitation that follows.”

The investigation continues and anyone with information or suspicions about this type of activity is urged to contact Crimestoppers anonymously or the police via 101.