Gang jailed after £90m of drugs found in shipment

Members of an organised crime gang behind an attempt to smuggle more than £90m worth of cocaine into the UK hidden in a shipment of bananas have been jailed.

At Maidstone Crown Court, the six members of the group, plus a corrupt security guard, were handed a combined total of 74 years in prison.

The court heard more than a tonne of cocaine was hidden in a container on a ship that arrived at the Port of Sheerness in Kent from Costa Rica in December 2021.

Judge Catherine Moore said: "This was undoubtedly a highly sophisticated commercial enterprise, importing cocaine into this country by the tonne."

The judge told the gang they were "driven by your own selfish greed".

"Drugs have a devastating impact on society and individuals, it fuels other crimes including violence and dishonesty and you have played a part in perpetuating it."

The plot was foiled following a two-month surveillance operation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and some of the gang were arrested as they went to retrieve the haul.

The court heard one of the leaders, Joel McCaughey, 34, from Castlefield in Manchester, had overseen the loading of the drugs in Costa Rica and was set to make £400,000 from the venture.

Members of the group were then taught how to use a forklift truck, which was bought to help retrieve the drugs.

The group also paid a security guard at the port, local 30-year-old Sam Elphick who lived in Melody Close, to give them access and to act as their lookout.

After arriving in two vans, five men from the gang were arrested as the port was swarmed by 100 police officers.

Paul Orchard, senior investigating officer from the NCA, said following the case: "The group are the exact type of group that the NCA target - high end, high harm and those most damaging to the community.

"There is no doubt had the NCA and our partners not interdicted and disrupted this organised crew, this group would have continued to flood in drugs at an enormous quantity into the UK."

The six men in the gang admitted conspiring to import Class A drugs.

McCaughey, of Whitworth Street West, was jailed for 13 years and four months and Danny Laird, 41, of Spencer Close, Buntingford in Hertfordshire, was sentenced to 14 years and eight months.

Darren Laurie, 53, of no fixed address, was jailed for 12 years and four months.

Michael Turner, 57, from Buntingford, received a sentence of 11 years.

Kyle Davidson, 33, of Parker Drive in Buntingford, was sentenced to ten years.

Ian Woodward, 36, of Standon Road in Ware, was jailed for 11 years and three months.

Elphick, who pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group, was sentenced to two years.

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