Four men have been handed lengthy prison sentences after the National Crime Agency (NCA) foiled a plot to smuggle over a tonne of cocaine aboard a fishing vessel off the coast of Cornwall.
The Class A drugs, with an estimated street value of £100 million, were found hidden on the vessel Lily Lola in September 2024 during a dramatic NCA-led maritime interception.
The men behind the operation were sentenced this week after being convicted of conspiring to import a substantial volume of cocaine into the UK.
Sentences Handed Down:
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Jon Williams – 26 years
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Patrick Godfrey – 25 years
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Jake Marchant – 18 years
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kelly/" data-wpil-monitor-id="413">Michael Kelly – 21 years
Sophisticated Smuggling Operation
The drugs were concealed aboard the Lily Lola, a fishing boat intercepted by UK authorities off the Cornwall coast. Investigators revealed that the vessel had been modified to hide narcotics in purpose-built compartments, allowing it to sail under the radar.
The NCA hailed the bust as a significant blow to organised crime networks, describing it as one of the largest maritime seizures of cocaine in UK waters in recent years.
NCA Statement
An NCA spokesperson said:
“This operation disrupted a major trafficking network attempting to flood UK streets with dangerous Class A drugs. The sentences reflect the serious threat posed by those involved in the supply of cocaine at this scale.”
