The UK is the second highest consumers of cocaine globally but, £80 million worth of the booger sugar washing up on UK shores is still unprecedented.

Surfacing on beaches near Hastings and Newhaven in East Sussex (May 24), two separate consignment packages were spotted and reported by passers-by.

National Crime Agency (NCA), who assessed the approximately 960 kilos, of the stuff put the street value estimate of the haul at around £80 million if cut and sold on the streets in the UK.

Martin Grace, NCA Branch Commander, 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.”

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