Two men from Preston have been caught and convicted after a massive £26.5 million cocaine shipment was dropped off the Somerset coast. Colin Benson, 60, and Joshua Rose, 38, both from Longton, were arrested following a daring drugs pickup at sea last year.
High-Seas Drug Drop and Shoreside Sting
On 30th July 2025, a Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) named the Guzzla was sent out to collect the cocaine off the coast near Watchet Marina. Benson and Rose waited onshore alongside Craig Nuttall, 51, his brother Raymond Nuttall, 48, Anestis Tsepa, 25, and Melios Delvina, 39. The men planned the operation meticulously, with Benson making several trips between Preston and Watchet before the haul.
Surveillance and Arrests Unveil Crime Network
NCA officers arrested four men at 1am on 31 July as Benson and Rose sped back to Preston in convoy, narrowly evading capture. Yet, their involvement was revealed through surveillance and financial trails. Benson’s Range Rover was spotted on ANPR cameras during his repeated trips south, and he was seen coordinating with the Nuttalls and others right up to the moment the drugs arrived.
Massive Cocaine Find and Lengthy Sentences
The Guzzla was found loaded with 14 large bales, containing 322 smaller one-kilo packages of cocaine, boasting a purity of 89%. The haul’s street value? A staggering £26.5 million. A firearm was also discovered on board. Rose’s company had made 24 payments to Benson’s accounts a year before and after the import. After pleading guilty, the other four men received a combined 49-year sentence, with Tsepa also charged over the firearm. Following a two-week trial, Benson was convicted at North Somerset Crown Court of knowingly importing cocaine and sentenced to 20 years and six months behind bars on 23 April 2026. Rose, who earlier pleaded guilty to involvement in organised crime, awaits sentencing.
