Former soldiers jailed for £34m cocaine smuggling plot using military expertise
Five men have been jailed for conspiring to bring 425kg of cocaine, valued at £34 million, into the UK aboard a fishing boat. Two former British Army soldiers, Alan John Colquhoun and William Donohoe, organised the operation, which the court described as sophisticated and planned using their military experience.
The cocaine had been dropped into the English Channel with a GPS tracker for the gang to collect, but National Crime Agency officers intercepted the boat at Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, on 8 June. Colquhoun and Donohoe each received 16 years; skipper Ian Smith was jailed for 12 years, lookout Daniel Ruffell for eight years, and Jacob Cronin for six years and eight months. The court heard the two former soldiers were to be paid £80,000.
In short
- Five men were jailed over a £34 million cocaine smuggling plot.
- Two former soldiers organised the Channel pick-up.
- The gang was intercepted at Eastbourne harbour.
Explained simply
Cocaine is an illegal drug, and bringing large quantities into the UK is a serious criminal offence. Smugglers may use boats to move drugs across the Channel, which separates southern England from mainland Europe.
The National Crime Agency investigates serious and organised crime in the UK. In this case, the court heard that two former British Army soldiers organised a plan involving a fishing boat, while other men had roles as skipper and lookout.
The case raises questions about how criminal groups organise drug imports and how law enforcement works to detect them. The court heard that military experience was used in planning the operation.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Old soldiers use military training to smuggle £34million of cocaine into UK after using fishing boat to scoop it up in English Channel”.