Final man jailed over cocaine smuggling ring

Alexander Fowlie admitted his plot to smuggle cocaine at Truro Crown Court on Friday

The seventh and final man to be sentenced for his part in a cocaine smuggling ring off the Cornish coast has been jailed for 16 years.

Alexander Fowlie, 35, of Chichester, admitted his part in the plot to smuggle £18.4m worth of cocaine in the UK through Cornwall.

Truro Crown Court heard Fowlie, who has no previous convictions, was responsible for purchasing the rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) used by members of the group to collect the Class A drugs on 13 September 2024.

Border Force officers off the coast of Newquay noticed the RHIB and when approached it sped off and a 28-mile chase unfolded during which the crew threw packages into the water.

The court heard Fowlie pitched for the other men to take part in the incident and in messages retrieved during the investigation, said it would be "a nice earner" where the "smaller ones walk away with £150,000" and it was "literally zero risk".

Three of the gang were arrested on Gwynver Beach at Sennen in September 2024 after they attempted to outrun Border Force officers.

Six large bales were recovered from the sea, containing about 230kg (507lbs) of powder which specialist analysts identified as high-purity cocaine, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

Judge James Adkin said there was an intentional conspiracy to smuggle large quantities of cocaine into the UK

Judge James Adkin said it was an intentional conspiracy to smuggle large quantities of cocaine into the UK and involved two organised crime groups in the south west and south east to "flood the streets of Essex and London with cocaine with grave societal harm".

Judge Adkin said businessman Fowlie had a supervisory role in the endeavour.

National Crime Agency senior investigating officer, Barry Vinall described Fowlie as a "fixer".

"He [Fowlie] purchased the boat used to collect the cocaine, and when officers foiled the group's plot, Fowlie tried to find new crew to carry out another collection.

"Fowlie's claim that collecting drugs at sea is a no-risk crime couldn't be further from the truth, because Border Force and the National Crime Agency are tackling this issue with determination."

Mr Vinall said 34 people were arrested in 2024 and about five tonnes of cocaine seized that had made it to UK shores would have "blighted communities and lives".

He said: "Fowlie and his group were driven by greed but now they're paying the price of trying to import one of the most harmful illegal drugs."

Senior director of Border Force Maritime, Duncan Capps, added: "It is the job of Border Force to protect our border and keep communities safe.

"Our officers were fantastic and displayed incredible skill during the 28-mile pursuit, despite the suspects' attempts to get rid of evidence.

"Border Force will continue to work alongside the NCA to prevent dangerous drugs reaching our streets and will ensure criminals caught smuggling face the full force of the law."