Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Is UK corrupt? Cocaine worth £184m found in London!

- seizure made on February 14, 2021, believed to be one of the largest ever in UK
As recent as Sunday, February 14, 2021, cocaine worth up to £184 million was seized in the United Kingdom after it was imported from Colombia in a consignment of bananas. Photo: PA
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the seizure of around 2.3 tonnes of the Class A drug is believed to be one of the largest ever in the UK. Photo: PA
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the seizure of around 2.3 tonnes of the Class A drug is believed to be one of the largest ever in the UK. Photo: PA
With the ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert late last year labeling the Virgin Islands (VI) as corrupt following the discovery of some $250m worth of cocaine on Tortola in early November 2020, the question continues to be asked what would the controversial UK civil servant label his own country, since cocaine busts are not strange there. Photo: VINO/File
With the ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert late last year labeling the Virgin Islands (VI) as corrupt following the discovery of some $250m worth of cocaine on Tortola in early November 2020, the question continues to be asked what would the controversial UK civil servant label his own country, since cocaine busts are not strange there. Photo: VINO/File
The discovery of cocaine at a port in Essex, UK, on November 12, 2020, marked the second-largest shipment of cocaine to be discovered at the Essex port in the space of two months. Photo: Evening Standard
The discovery of cocaine at a port in Essex, UK, on November 12, 2020, marked the second-largest shipment of cocaine to be discovered at the Essex port in the space of two months. Photo: Evening Standard
Just like when the drug bust was made in the Virgin Islands in November 2020, detailed information about the Commission of Inquiry was splashed menacingly across newspapers across the UK, even before the local media was able to get proper information. Even the Government and Financial Services were caught off guard. Photo: VINO
Just like when the drug bust was made in the Virgin Islands in November 2020, detailed information about the Commission of Inquiry was splashed menacingly across newspapers across the UK, even before the local media was able to get proper information. Even the Government and Financial Services were caught off guard. Photo: VINO
LONDON, United Kingdom- With the ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert late last year labeling the Virgin Islands (VI) as corrupt following the discovery of some $250m worth of cocaine on Tortola in early November 2020, the question continues to be asked what would the controversial UK civil servant label his own country, since cocaine busts are not strange there.

The ex-governor’s statement had angered Virgin Islanders, who were already perturbed over his statements on reparations and preserving names of landmarks honouring perpetrators of slavery, statements some considered racist.

2.3 tonnes of cocaine was imported from Columbia

As recent as Sunday, February 14, 2021, cocaine worth up to £184 million was seized in the UK after it was imported from Colombia in a consignment of bananas.

According to several UK publications, including PA Media, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said the seizure of around 2.3 tonnes of the Class A drug is believed to be one of the largest ever in the UK.

Ten men, aged between 21 and 56, were arrested following an armed raid at an industrial estate in Tottenham, north London, on Thursday, February 18, 2021, after the delivery of 41 pallets.

Dramatic footage, according to the UK publication, shows firearms officers, wearing helmets and gas masks, smash down the door before raiding the building, which contains stacked boxes of bananas.

The cocaine had already been removed by Border Force officers at Portsmouth International Port on Sunday after the consignment arrived on a cargo ship from Colombia the previous day.

The NCA, which carried out the investigation with the Metropolitan Police under the Organised Crime Partnership, said the drugs could have been worth £184 million if sold on UK streets.

‘UK’s biggest ever seizures of cocaine’

The Met’s Detective Superintendent Simon Moring said: “This operation is a great example of partnership working between the Met, NCA and Border Force, which resulted in one of the UK’s biggest ever seizures of cocaine – around 2.3 tonnes.

“We know there is an inextricable link between drugs and violence – that is why tackling the importation and supply of drugs is a crucial part of our work to reduce violent crime in London,” Moring said.

John Coles, head of specialist operations at the NCA, said: “The numbers here speak for themselves; this is a massive seizure which has denied organised criminals hundreds of millions in profits, and is the result of a targeted investigation conducted jointly by the NCA and Met Police.

“The NCA is focused on disrupting the organised crime groups posing the most significant risk to the UK, which includes those involved in class A drug supply.

2 major cocaine busts were made in Essex late 2020

The historic drug bust in the UK reminds of the more than a tonne of cocaine, worth £100 million, found hidden in a shipment of banana pulp in Essex back in November 2020.

According to the UK publication, Evening Standard, the 1,060 kilograms of concealed cocaine were discovered hidden in a shipping container as part of routine inspections by Border Force at the London Gateway depot in Essex.

The discovery on November 12, 2020, had marked the second-largest shipment of cocaine to be discovered at the Essex port in the space of two months.

Corruption label was part of CoI scheme?

Meanwhile, many believe the labeling of the Virgin Islands as having systematic corruption after the drug bust in November 2020 was part of Mr Jaspert’s scheme to try to justify calling the Commission of Inquiry in January 2021, mere days after he demitted the Governor’s Office.

Just like when the drug bust was made, detailed information about the Commission of Inquiry was splashed menacingly across newspapers across the UK, even before the local media was able to get proper information.

Many saw this as an attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Virgin Islands on the international scene and to get UK’s Government and public support to intervene into the governing affairs of the territory.

According to political pundits, the main reason behind the CoI is because the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government of Andrew A. Fahie (R1) has been pushing a narrative of independence at a time when the territory is due for constitutional review and the CoI is a tool to keep the colonialist status quo.

45 Responses to “Is UK corrupt? Cocaine worth £184m found in London!”

  • Future (19/02/2021, 15:32) Like (42) Dislike (11) Reply
    Very Good point. This should not be a measuring stick as to whether or not a country is corrupt.
    • To Future (19/02/2021, 18:50) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
      Well said. The UK have too many double standards.
      • Edmond says (19/02/2021, 20:34) Like (4) Dislike (6) Reply
        you have to have some sympathy for Gus - he was unfortunately horribly over promoted and spent 3 years and 4 months hopelessly out of his depth. He will now settle into a non public facing unaccountable civil service role in the UK.
  • hahah (19/02/2021, 15:39) Like (7) Dislike (15) Reply
    Only C***Y believe the BVI and Government corrupt. Now once more the big mighty strong no-lawbreaking UK is once again in the bee for drugs. Let’s see how she will put this on VIP Government
    • @hahah (19/02/2021, 16:01) Like (7) Dislike (3) Reply
      The stick is long....much more blows to come! I will say it again 'do not mess with God's anointed!' Especially if you wear the crown of great evil doing for centuries!
  • CSC (19/02/2021, 15:48) Like (8) Dislike (6) Reply
    Why don't we start a COI in London? Spearheaded by Mr. SC.... I'm sure we can make it a highly paid consulting position...
  • again! (19/02/2021, 15:54) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
    They packaged them up real nice... just like Gus and the others. Well outwardly packaged, but full of great evil and the potential to destroy others if God does not step in to stop them! It seems like God is making His move! Now the world will see how they are getting their dark wealth. Thank you Jesus! Those in glass houses!!
  • vex (19/02/2021, 15:55) Like (10) Dislike (12) Reply
    Hope the racist Gus has egg on his face
  • tretretrete (19/02/2021, 16:05) Like (13) Dislike (6) Reply
    Maybe the Government should ask for a Commission of Inquiry and send one of our own judges there.
  • Fairly (19/02/2021, 16:08) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    The ot country need to investigate and bring to attention to the United nations all this money from drug and curuption there washing in banks hidden
  • My Take (19/02/2021, 16:31) Like (18) Dislike (7) Reply
    The UK is the biggest hypocrite.
  • People (19/02/2021, 16:33) Like (9) Dislike (4) Reply
    Since the UK left the EU they need money and prestige so they will now abuse their powers greater than ever to try to take over all OTs like BVI through plots like Commission of Inquiry.
  • Lord 0 (19/02/2021, 16:40) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    Hope thats not the same cocaine they try to peddle...However corruption is an act by officials the public trust to carry out their function, honestly and transparently, not taking tax payers money via dishonest means...
  • WEW (19/02/2021, 16:41) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    This tickles me to see. As if 2 wrongs will make it right - here in BVI
  • W*F (19/02/2021, 17:12) Like (20) Dislike (8) Reply
    Isn't this less than was discovered in our tiny little country? London has a population of close to 9 million people. We have less than 30,000 now. That's 0.3% of London's population... that would also be equivalent to about 767 tonnes for BVI. Comparing apples to oranges.
    • @ WTF (19/02/2021, 19:10) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
      Nice spin but the uk are evil does gus and rankin must go
    • @wtf (19/02/2021, 20:02) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
      And the population of the UK in 2020 was 67.8 million..... You can't compare the haul in the UK with the onw here!
      • @ @ wtf (20/02/2021, 08:59) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
        Of course you can compare it’s racist hypocrisy at its best

        Down with the oppressors
  • think about it (19/02/2021, 18:33) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why the BVI have the value of these things so high, london busted more than us but have less than half the value we have, we making ourselves look bad, why the drugs worth more in the BVI than in the UK?
  • oooh (19/02/2021, 18:43) Like (7) Dislike (5) Reply
    If by now the world doesn't know that the UK are the greatest liars and mischiefmakers then they will never know again.
  • coi (19/02/2021, 18:44) Like (13) Dislike (3) Reply
    Did they find that the police and people connected to U.K. politicians were smuggling it? If so, there should absolutely be an inquiry.

    This is part of the reason why the U.K. and US are trying to crack down on lawless countries like the BVI which facilitate the smuggling. The drugs found in the BVI are not for the BVI - they are destined to other countries. Where did the U.K. drugs come from - Columbia. But drugs into the US - BVI on the list of suspicious countries.
    • @COI (20/02/2021, 15:13) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      So sick of of people like you! You are spreading lies and misinformation and it is a crime! Please quickly tell me and the apparently ignorant masses which politician in the BVI has been implicated in any facilitation of drug smuggling. How is the BVI a lawless country? Because it has crime like almost every other country? For your information, comparatively, the BVI has crime that is far lower than some of its closest neighbors (e.g. USVI). Stop it! Please stop it. There have been police implicated in drug smuggling, and other types of corruption, there was also some customs officers on similar types of charges. However up to now, not a single sitting politician. Until a politician is so implicated, stop the lies! By the way, why is nobody holding Michael Matthews accountable for any of the bad apples who were apparently so able to thrive under his nose, that they felt confident enough to move such a large amount of narcotics. Seems like it could easily be viewed as incompetence (not suggesting that it is), but I do find it curious that politicians are being blamed when somehow not a single comment is questioning the competence of the COP.
  • what's next (19/02/2021, 18:46) Like (5) Dislike (4) Reply
    When the UK through their imps being gus & Matthews found the drugs in BVI they made it known internationally but they hiding the corruption in the UK. These colonial masters are two face people.
  • tell me (19/02/2021, 18:47) Like (3) Dislike (3) Reply
    How did the that c.o.p get that multimillion dollar house on his salary? Can the Commission of Inquiry look into that?
  • Research (19/02/2021, 18:49) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
    The one that rhyme with HUS that just left was being a billion dollar house on one of our islands. Plenty thing to talk.
  • trevor (19/02/2021, 18:51) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well, if you compare both populations and amount of kilos involved, then we are per capita much more “corrupt”
    What a silly comparison, a diversion from what’s happening here.
  • hmm (19/02/2021, 18:54) Like (3) Dislike (3) Reply
    The way the Governor and the UK officials speak you will think that Illegal things never happen in the UK.
  • VIslander (19/02/2021, 19:20) Like (5) Dislike (5) Reply
    From the way some UK folk have judged our country over a drug bust I assumed that there are no drugs in the UK!
    Drug busts in a country doesn't make it corrupt now does it Gus?
    All the British citizens looking to avoid paying taxes doesn't make the country itself corrupt now does it Gus?
  • Me arm (19/02/2021, 20:16) Like (13) Dislike (2) Reply
    Whether the UK is corrupt or clean the BVI is under investigation by them . It is not going to make a difference . If we were a clean people this would never have happened . Truth would always out do lies .
  • Gus tell us (19/02/2021, 21:15) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Can we see evidence if the drugs destroyed since they were taken off island
  • Xbox (19/02/2021, 21:18) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    this is nothing new within the UK. covid is beginning to expose lost of stuff
  • recent murders (19/02/2021, 21:18) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    What is the governor doing about this..so many unsolved as well. Isn't national security under his port folio? Again I see nothing in the news on methods to reduce crime...no stop and search, increased patrols, etc...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING>>>>IS THE GOVERNOR AND POLICE FORCE FAILING US? Vino theses are the questions which need asking!!
    • One week (19/02/2021, 23:38) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      Yes governor you've been here a week why haven't you solved all the issues yet? Clearly inept and any BVI islander could do better. Or he's corrupt and doesn't want to.
    • @ recent murders (20/02/2021, 08:52) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      this a subject that those 13 we elected have to stand up and speak out about. there is a police boat that sits tied up in burt point day after day; while border security lacking in this territory.
  • Stupes (20/02/2021, 02:04) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    That simply means that both countries are corrupt.
    • Rolling My Eyes (20/02/2021, 15:18) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      If a country was corrupt just because crime was committed by a small proportion of people within it, I gather a whole lot of countries would be deemed corrupt. By this reassuring stick, nearly all.
  • tretretrete (20/02/2021, 06:16) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Gus only retaliated because of the ongoing disputes between him and the Premier.
  • Interested (20/02/2021, 06:51) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Both corrupt. Next let us focus on all these murders
  • Corrupt (20/02/2021, 07:42) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    Cocaine can be found in every country in the world, it is not the presence of cocaine that makes a nation corrupt. The BVI does not just facilitate cocaine trafficking, it actively encourages it. In the BVI both elected officials and public sector officers are involved in trafficking drugs. Wake up BVI, this is one of the underlying problems that makes the territory so corrupt
  • Sense of proportion (20/02/2021, 08:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    BVI GNP these days runs at some $ 400 million per year, so a bust of $250 million’s worth of cocaine represents 62.5% of the Territory’s GNP. On the other hand, 184 million pounds of cocaine represents less than 0.04% of the UK’s annual GDP of about 500,000 million pounds.
  • sence alone (20/02/2021, 08:24) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The curuption is not where the drugs was seized on it way to who it was for or purchase alone but the one or as we know the organized.....that orchestrate the buying who is sole sources of the conspiracy of the one part of the curuption...
    We need to stop point fingers in direction of the small man alone ...it those that gain not them being payed as mule ...one brick of coke in south America probably worth 2000.00 the most iwen reach the Caribbean probably between the islands 8 to 12 the most then wen the her final destination it 35000.00 a brick and that wholesale..now do your common sense and the math ..then ask who is all in this curption wen drugs got no passport and authority....hmmm lord it only the small man... everything in this world there teach us tell us or make apare to be everything it a lie..
  • guy hill (20/02/2021, 08:27) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    In this cruel world we all live in. There needs to be a culture developed where corrupt people fear incorruptible people and not the other way around. Might just be a fleeting illusion to be pursued because the need becomes a greed, but we need to live clean with a positive spirit in these crucial times of our existence. Be Brave.
  • ReX FeRal (20/02/2021, 08:29) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Answer to Headline Question. ..YES THE UK IS CORRUPT. Which large country is NOT?
  • from buckingham palace (20/02/2021, 08:41) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    BVI is not corrupt.
    UK is not corrupt.
    There are drug dealers in BVI using the system of Governmnt.
    There are drug dealers in UK using the system of Government.
    UK & BVI is one country,with one Monachy,with one Sovereignty with one British nationality with one British passport;under one Constitution for the Governor;for the members of the HoA,with UK parliament and BVI parliament mentioning that UK is the supreme ruler.There is corruption in BVI and in UK.
    So what?
  • Uneblievable (22/02/2021, 14:49) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Does nobody, including the reporter, know the definition of corruption?
    It refers to dishonest or fraudulent conduct BY THOSE IN POWER. It does not mean drug trafficking. Drug trafficking unfortunately happens all over the world, but for a police officer to have huge quantities of drugs in their possession, is a different matter. That is what the corruption accusation is about. It points to a serious problem with those who are supposed to be enforcing the law.... but appear instead to be breaking it in a very significant way.


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.