In a plot ripped from a crime thriller, a sophisticated gang has been handed prison sentences totalling 111 years for their audacious attempt to smuggle a colossal £50 million haul of cocaine into the United Kingdom. Their method of choice? Exploiting the cover of a prestigious transatlantic yacht race.
The Elaborate Maritime Smuggling Plot
The National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered the intricate scheme, which involved concealing 700kg of high-purity cocaine aboard the yacht Kairos. The vessel was participating in the 2022 ARC+ rally, a renowned sailing event that journeys from Gran Canaria to the Caribbean, precisely to avoid suspicion from authorities.
The plan unravelled when the NCA, working in close collaboration with Spanish police, monitored the gang's movements. After the yacht collected the drugs in St Lucia, it was shadowed across the Atlantic. The illicit cargo was destined for the southwest coast of England, a hub for sailing, where it was intended to be unloaded.
The Takedown and Arrests
In a coordinated strike, law enforcement moved in. The Kairos was intercepted and boarded by the Spanish authorities off the coast of Galicia in northwest Spain in December 2022. The massive bales of cocaine were discovered hidden in a specially constructed compartment beneath the yacht's stern.
Meanwhile, NCA officers arrested the UK-based members of the organised crime group (OCG) who were preparing to receive the shipment. Investigators pieced together the plot using damning evidence, including encrypted messages that detailed the entire operation.
Who Were the Key Players?
The convicted men, considered integral parts of the OCG, were sentenced at Winchester Crown Court after being found guilty of conspiring to import class A drugs.
- Charles McGhee (43) of Gosport, Hampshire: described as a "leading organiser," received 24 years.
- Ryan Hooton (31) of Lewisham, south-east London: received 22 years.
- Benjamin Robinson (53) of Longfield, Kent: received 20 years.
- John Cooper (34) of Portsmouth, Hampshire: received 18 years.
- Joshua Barrett (32) of Gosport, Hampshire: received 17 years.
- Samuel Crimp (32) of Gosport, Hampshire: received 10 years.
A Significant Blow to Organised Crime
NCA senior investigating officer Andrew MacGill emphasised the significance of the seizure. "This was a huge amount of cocaine... the seizure will have been a massive blow to the organised crime group involved," he stated. MacGill highlighted the violence and exploitation fuelled by the drug trade, noting that the gang's operation was "sophisticated and significant."
This case serves as a stark warning that UK law enforcement will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who attempt to import illegal drugs, no matter how elaborate they believe their plans to be.
