Duo convicted for £26m cocaine speedboat drop off

Two men have been convicted for their part in a drugs smuggling operation after £26.5m worth of cocaine was dropped off near the Somerset coast.

A jury at North Somerset Crown Court was told Colin Benson, 60, and Joshua Rose, 38, both from Longton in Preston, went to collect 322kg (709lbs) of cocaine from a speedboat at Watchet Harbour in July last year.

Following a two week trial the jury convicted Benson of being knowingly concerned in the importation of cocaine. Rose pleaded guilty to an offence of participating in the activities of an organised crime group at an earlier hearing.

At the same court on Thursday, Benson was sentenced to 20 years and six months in jail. Rose will be sentenced at a later date.

The court heard that on the evening of 30 July last year, Benson and Joshua waited on the shore for the return of a speedboat carrying the drugs.

On board the boat were Melios Delvina, 39, Craig Nuttall, 51, and Anestis Tsepa, 25, who had collected the drugs from a cargo ship at sea. Also waiting on the land was Craig's 48-year-old brother Raymond.

The speedboat returned to the marina at 01:00 on 31 July, but Delvina, Tsepa and the Nuttall brothers were subsequently arrested by the NCA on suspicion of importation of Class A drugs. Benson and Rose left immediately and drove back to Preston.

The speedboat was searched and 14 packages of cocaine and a gun were found inside.

Benson and Rose had travelled from Preston to Watchet on a number of occasions before the drugs collection, said the NCA.

They had met the Nuttalls on three separate occasions, including in the marina car park.

The pair were arrested in Lancashire by NCA officers in November 2025.

The other four men pleaded guilty to drugs importation charges and were sentenced last year. Tsepa also pleaded guilty to possession of the firearm found on the boat.

NCA senior investigating officer Alan French said: "Benson and Rose adopted the role of bystanders and clearly didn't want to embark on such a risky journey to collect this valuable cargo.

"However, they played a central role in planning the conspiracy through the numerous trips made down south.

"When their accomplices were arrested, they knew the game was up and left the scene in haste. It's possible they thought that law enforcement wouldn't bother to arrest them and make them accountable for their crimes, but the NCA will never cease in bringing those involved in smuggling class A drugs to justice."

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