A near three-tonne cocaine haul worth an estimated £232m has been seized during a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation. The consignment was recovered on Thursday at London Gateway Port in Essex, following NCA intelligence. Officials say the 2.9 tonne shipment was hidden in a coverload of bananas from South America. After the drugs were removed, the container was allowed to be collected and later delivered to a location near Buntingford in Hertfordshire. Nine men were arrested in connection with the operation. They were later released on bail, the NCA said. Dave Phillips, an NCA senior investigating officer, said the seizure deprived the organised crime group behind the drugs of “huge profits” and that the money could not be ploughed back into further crime. He added that cocaine is a Class A drug and described it as something that can “wreck lives” and devastate communities. The NCA said it will continue working with partners including Border Force to tackle the threat posed by Class A drugs, including efforts upstream in source and transit countries.