Sam Brown, 33, of Wykeham Street in Kirkdale, was one of 11 people involved in the conspiracy (Image: NCA). A Liverpool crime boss and 10 other members of an organised crime gang have been convicted over a failed plot to recover £40m worth of cocaine dumped into the English Channel from a container ship. The gang planned to retrieve 500kg of cocaine, wrapped in waterproof packaging fitted with GPS trackers, after it was thrown overboard around 40 nautical miles south of the Needles, off the Isle of Wight, in August 2024.
But the sophisticated operation quickly descended into chaos when the trackers failed, forcing the gang to launch a second attempt. Although the drugs were eventually recovered, National Crime Agency officers were waiting when the boat reached shore.
Following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, three men and one woman were convicted, while seven others had already admitted their roles in the conspiracy.
The gang members and their roles
Sam Brown, 33, of Wykeham Street, Kirkdale, was one of the leaders of the organised crime group. Brown admitted conspiracy to smuggle cocaine after investigators found he played a central role in recruiting others into the plot. When the GPS trackers began working again after initially failing, Brown enlisted the help of his friend Harry Kennedy to move the cocaine once it reached land.
Daniel Jamieson, 41, of Heath Road, Ramsden Heath, Essex, was described as another boss of the organised crime group alongside Brown. Using a false identity, he bought a legitimate maritime business to obtain a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) capable of recovering the drugs. He denied conspiracy to smuggle cocaine but was convicted following trial.
Lewis Watts, 37, of Toronto Road, Tilbury, Essex, acted as Jamieson's right hand man and was responsible for coordinating much of the operation from land. He managed a prepaid credit card used to fund the conspiracy, researched landing sites, bought equipment, helped prepare the boat and relayed instructions to those at sea via WhatsApp. As the first retrieval attempt failed, Watts repeatedly urged the crew to pursue the container ship, messaging: "Big ship has passed you, flash lights," before adding: "Big ship has passed you, chase it and flash lights." He was convicted of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine.
David Paterson, 49, of Viking Way, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, piloted the first recovery mission after sailing from Haslar Marina in Portsmouth during the early hours of August 17, 2024. Working offshore on an oil rig in Scotland, Paterson attempted to locate the cocaine after it was dropped into the sea but was unable to find it when the GPS trackers failed to transmit their location. He returned to shore empty-handed several hours later. He was convicted of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine.
Adil Nolan, 40, of Maureen Walk, Fazakerley, skippered the Amma Sigga during the second recovery mission on August 19. Accompanied by two other men, he successfully recovered 16 bales of cocaine before sailing to Medmerry Beach in West Sussex, where waiting law enforcement officers arrested the group. He admitted conspiracy to smuggle cocaine.
Harry Kennedy, 38, of Wykeham Street, Kirkdale, became involved after Brown asked him to help move the cocaine once it had been brought ashore. Investigators also uncovered messages showing Brown and Kennedy were involved in separate drug dealing activity unrelated to the importation plot. Kennedy admitted conspiracy to smuggle cocaine.
Charlotte Blenman, 34, of Shelley Road East, Boscombe, Bournemouth, was part of the five-person landing party waiting on Medmerry Beach. Her role was to help remove the cocaine from the beach after it was brought ashore. She was cleared of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine but convicted of assisting an organised crime group.
Roy Harmer, 46, of Chine Road, Bournemouth, was another member of the landing party tasked with collecting the cocaine once it reached the beach. He admitted assisting an organised crime group.
Neil Pinchbeck, 43, of Pearce Road, Poole, was also part of the landing party waiting to transport the drugs inland. He admitted assisting an organised crime group.
Thomas Stewart, 40, of Carpenter Close, Peterborough, formed part of the beach recovery team assembled to move the cocaine after it landed. He admitted assisting an organised crime group.
Ricky Platt, 49, of Westby Road, Boscombe, Dorset, completed the five-person landing party waiting on Medmerry Beach. He admitted assisting an organised crime group.
What happened?
The conspiracy began on August 17, 2024, when Paterson sailed from Portsmouth to meet a container ship that was due to dump 500kg of cocaine into the sea. The drugs, worth around £40 million, were packaged in waterproof bundles fitted with GPS trackers so they could be recovered. However, the trackers failed, leaving the crew unable to find the shipment despite hours searching offshore.
When the devices unexpectedly came back online the following day, the gang launched a second retrieval operation. This time the cocaine was successfully recovered, but National Crime Agency officers intercepted the boat when it landed at Medmerry Beach in West Sussex.
Those convicted of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine will be sentenced on November 5, while those convicted of assisting an organised crime group will be sentenced on November 6.
Jules Harriman, the NCA's senior investigating officer, said: "This was a large seizure of cocaine and represents a serious loss for the crime group. Their profits can no longer be ploughed back into further offending and we've prevented these toxic drugs from reaching UK streets where they poison people's lives."
