Mark Ruffell and Stephanie Painter prosecute a drug gang who were jailed for smuggling £64m of cocaine into UK on a speedboat

The drugs gang that smuggled £64m worth of cocaine into the UK on a speedboat has been jailed for a combined 92 years.

Seven men planned to bring 889kg of the drug into Hampshire on a rigid-hulled inflatable boat in July 2024. Winchester Crown Court heard that all seven men had admitted conspiracy to import cocaine.

The plot saw the men collect floating packages of the drugs from a container ship in the middle of the Channel before docking in Hampshire and transferring them to a vehicle. But the scheme collapsed after skipper Thomas Walker, 33, was spotted by residents as he docked at St Denys, Southampton.

Mark Ruffell, lead prosecutor, told the court, “Darkness, secrecy and a huge amount of planning are involved in what takes place.” He described the group as “top-end criminals, dealing with South American drug cartels and their middlemen.”

The case has been widely reported in the national and local press, including the Telegraph.

For further information about Mark’s practice or to instruct him, please contact Tony George – Senior Criminal Clerk, or another member of the clerking team at clerks@pumpcourtchambers.com or 020 7353 0711.