'Cocaine' found off Hastings and Newhaven 'worth £80m'

Drugs found in packages that washed up on the south coast are thought to be South American cocaine with a street value of £80m.

Two consignments of nearly a tonne of suspected cocaine were discovered on beaches in Sussex on Monday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

Samples tested positive for the Class A drug, but a full forensic examination will be carried out, the NCA added.

Police said the haul weighed 960kg - a "significant" loss to those involved.

The packages were all in waterproof bags and attached to life jackets to make them float, officers said.

Sussex Police removed the bundles from the beaches and took them to a secure location after passers-by spotted packages on the shoreline near Hastings and Newhaven and alerted the force.

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 will represent a significant hit to the criminal networks involved."

He said the two seizures were being linked and a Sussex Police and Border Force investigation was now under way.

The packages were first reported to be floating in the water off Hastings shortly before 06:00 BST on Monday.

Further packages were then found later in the day along the coast at Newhaven.

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