Thatcher’s Secret Moth War on Cocaine | UK News

Margaret Thatcher’s government secretly considered a bizarre plan to fight the cocaine trade: breeding swarms of leaf-eating moths and dropping them from helicopters onto coca plantations in Peru. Scientists at Porton Down were tasked with mass-producing Eloria noyesi moths, whose caterpillars could devour coca leaves without harm. Inspired by a real moth infestation that devastated illegal crops, the UK even spent £100,000 exploring it—but ultimately shelved it due to doubts about effectiveness, environmental risks, and potential leaks. A wild, moth-powered war on drugs… that never flew. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/13b59c3ed0a239d0