Eleven members of an organised crime group have been convicted after attempting to smuggle around 500kg of cocaine, worth an estimated £40 million, into the UK via the Sussex coastline. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the sophisticated conspiracy involved waterproof bales of cocaine being dropped into the English Channel before being recovered by boat and landed at Medmerry Beach near Selsey, West Sussex. The shipment, containing cocaine with an estimated street value of £40 million, was intercepted before it could be distributed to criminal networks across the UK.
Drugs Dropped Into English Channel
The operation began in the early hours of 17 August 2024, when David Paterson, 49, left Haslar Marina, Portsmouth, aboard the rigid-hulled inflatable boat Amma Sigga. The cocaine had been dropped into the sea approximately 40 nautical miles south of The Needles, off the Isle of Wight, by accomplices aboard a container ship. Investigators said Paterson was directed by Lewis Watts, who coordinated the recovery from shore using WhatsApp. However, the operation descended into chaos when GPS tracking devices attached to the drug packages stopped transmitting, leaving the gang unable to locate the floating shipment. The boat eventually returned to Portsmouth empty-handed.
Recovery Attempt Ends in Arrests
The following day, the GPS trackers began transmitting again, prompting the organised crime group to launch a second recovery operation. On 19 August 2024, Adil Nolan, 40, departed Eastbourne Harbour aboard the Amma Sigga with two other men and successfully recovered 16 waterproof bales containing cocaine with a purity of around 85 per cent. The vessel then headed for Medmerry Beach near Selsey, where officers from the National Crime Agency and partner law enforcement agencies were waiting. The drugs were seized before they could be unloaded and supplied to criminal networks.
Organised Crime Leaders Identified
The National Crime Agency identified Daniel Jamieson, 41, and Sam Brown, 33, as the leaders of the organised crime group. Investigators said Jamieson posed as a legitimate businessman and purchased a maritime company using a false identity to obtain the recovery vessel used in the operation. Brown was responsible for recruiting members of the conspiracy, while Watts coordinated logistics, communications, equipment purchases and landing sites throughout the plot. Seven members of the gang admitted their roles before trial. Following proceedings at Portsmouth Crown Court, three men and one woman were also convicted by a jury. Those convicted of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine are due to be sentenced on 5 November, with those convicted of assisting an organised crime group to be sentenced the following day.
NCA: “Serious Loss for Crime Group”
Senior Investigating Officer Jules Harriman, of the National Crime Agency, said the seizure had dealt a major financial blow to organised crime. He 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. “Working with partners such as Border Force, the NCA will continue to do all it can to protect the public from the threat of Class A drugs.”
International Investigation
The National Crime Agency said the investigation was supported by Border Force, Sussex Police, Hampshire Police, Merseyside Police and West Mercia Police. The agency warned that cocaine production in South America is at record levels and that the UK remains one of the world’s largest markets for the Class A drug, with organised crime groups continuing to use increasingly sophisticated methods to import illegal drugs into the country. The successful prosecution of the eleven offenders marks the conclusion of a major investigation into one of the largest attempted maritime cocaine importations intercepted off the south coast of England.
Originally published by UKNIP.
