Latest news with #CharlieEastaugh
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Private yachts an ‘easy, low-risk' route for bringing illegal migrants into UK
Private yachts are an 'easy, low-risk' route for bringing illegal migrants into the UK, a former British soldier turned people smuggler has claimed. The former soldier interviewed by the BBC said he had transported dozens of Vietnamese migrants by yacht into private marinas in south coast seaside towns until he was caught and convicted in 2019. He claimed the routes were still being used by smugglers because of the low risk of being caught at marinas that could be protected with no more security than a caravan site. His comments come after Border Force last month intercepted a yacht off the coast of Cornwall which was carrying 20 Albanians, comprising 19 men and one woman. The ex-soldier, who the BBC named as 'Nick', said he had chosen to speak out now because he was 'angry' he had been jailed for a crime that was still very possible to commit. He claimed to know people who, in the past year, had used the same routes and methods as him. The smuggling routes – whether by yacht or ferry – were 'easy' and 'low-risk', he said. Border Force is responsible for securing the 11,000 miles of UK coastline, but the security of harbours and marinas rests with private operators, Charlie Eastaugh, the force's director of maritime, told the BBC. 'We patrol 24/7, we carry out proactive, as well as reactive, operations,' he said – citing the luxury yacht, hiding the 20 Albanians below deck, which was intercepted en route to Newquay in Cornwall last month. Two harbourmasters, speaking anonymously to the BBC, agreed that private marinas were an easy target for people smugglers because they were not manned 24/7. One based in Essex likened security to a caravan site and said that someone could hide people in a boat 'easily'. 'In a busy marina in peak season, with a lot of people coming in and out, it would be very easy to do this,' they said. In Kent, Thanet District Council – which is responsible for Ramsgate Marina – said it was Border Force, and not individual harbours, that was 'the frontline response for immigration and illegal activities'. 'Staff at the port and harbour are vigilant and report any concerns or suspicions directly to Border Force for them to follow up,' said a spokesman. Some 13,574 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year on small boats, up 37 per cent on the 9,874 arrivals at the same point last year. Former Border Force director general Tony Smith, said the 'vast majority' of the agency's resources were currently deployed to the Small Boats Operational Command – focusing on specific routes used by large numbers of people crowded into small craft. 'My preference certainly would be to be able to deploy more widely and to look more across the whole of the UK coastline to identify threats,' he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
21-03-2025
- Telegraph
Cocaine dropped at sea for UK drug gangs to collect
Bales of cocaine are being dropped into the sea around the UK by South American drug gangs to be picked up by smaller boats and brought to shore, Border Force has revealed. Tens of millions of pounds worth of drugs are being wrapped in waterproof plastic and equipped with trackers, which enable members of the drug gangs in the UK to locate them and bring them to shore. Border Force said the sophisticated smuggling operation had become a 'significant and persistent threat'. The method of sneaking drugs into the UK, known as an ASDO, or at-sea-drop-off, emerged following a court case last week in which four British men were intercepted and arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers after picking up a ton of cocaine, with a street value of £100 million, left near the Isles of Scilly in September. The drugs are transported on ships by gangs in South America who are in touch with criminals in the UK via satellite phones. When the vessels are in British waters the packages are thrown overboard to be collected by smaller boats, which locate the drugs. Border Force has deployed its cutter units, with dogs specially trained to sniff out drugs, in an effort to intercept the packages dropped off at sea. The counter measures, reported first hand by a BBC crew on board a Border Force vessel, saw a team of officers and their sniffer dog intercept a cocaine haul hidden among bananas on a ship inbound from South America. The drugs – packed in waterproof parcels and equipped with trackers – were found behind the locked doors of a container on the vessel, which was stopped off the coast of Dover, Kent, and had a street value of more than £50 million. Charlie Eastaugh, the maritime director at Border Force, told the BBC: 'They were bundled into around 30kg blocks, with life jackets which would then be inflated… and that would be thrown overboard.' Mr Eastaugh said the problem was 'significant' but 'we are able to identify, track, locate, seize and ultimately prosecute and imprison those that are involved'. In the case last week at Truro Crown Court, prosecutors revealed how four men on a boat called the Lily Lola sailed to an area near the Scilly Isles on instructions from a gang in South America. There, they retrieved a ton of cocaine dumped by a larger vessel floating in the sea but before they could bring it back to shore they were intercepted by officers from the NCA. Jon Williams, 46, the captain of the boat, and Patrick Godfrey, 31, both from Swansea, were hired by Michael Kelly, 45, and Jake Marchant, 27, because of their boat handling skills, the court heard. They will return to court to be sentenced on May 8. Elsewhere, there have been parcels of cocaine washed up on beaches on the Isle of Wight in October 2023, bags of the drug found at Durdle Door in Dorset and at Goring in West Sussex, and the interception of an inflatable boat off the Suffolk coast in June this year carrying drugs from a ship. Prof Adam Winstock, a consultant psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist who spends much of his time working in prisons, told the BBC the purity and price of cocaine has 'remained immune to inflation over the last five years'. As a result, he said 'it doesn't matter to [smugglers] if they lose 20 per cent of shipments' through seizures by authorities because the mark-up on the drug is so high. Despite record seizures in 2024, the number of cocaine-linked deaths in the UK is at a 30-year high. There were 1,118 deaths in 2023 – 10 times higher than in 2011, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics. Derek Evans from the NCA, who led the investigation into the Lily Lola, warned people working in the fishing community: 'If someone from a crime group approaches you, please let the police know. If you are tempted to go into this line of industry in the criminal framework, think twice.'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Cocaine being dropped at sea for UK drug gangs to collect
South American drug gangs are dropping cocaine in the sea around the UK to be picked up by smaller boats and brought to shore, Border Force has warned. Tens of millions of pounds worth of drugs are being wrapped in flotation devices equipped with trackers, allowing gang members in Britain to see where they are, officials say. This sophisticated method of smuggling large quantities of the drug into the UK has become a "significant and persistent threat", they say. Last week, a court heard that four British men were arrested after picking up a tonne of cocaine, with a street value of £100m, left near the Isles of Scilly in September. They face lengthy prison sentences. In an effort to intercept the parcels, Border Force has deployed its cutter units, alongside highly trained sniffer dogs. BBC News got rare access to this unit, including a dog called Flash who sniffed out a cocaine haul hidden among bananas on a ship inbound from South America in January. The drugs - packed in waterproof parcels and equipped with trackers - were found behind the locked doors of a container on the vessel, which was stopped off the coast of Dover, Kent, and had a street value of more than £50m. "They were bundled into around 30kg blocks, with life jackets which would then be inflated… and that would be thrown overboard," Charlie Eastaugh, maritime director at Border Force, told the BBC. This tactic known as an ASDO, or at-sea-drop-off, has led to seizures of multiple tonnes of cocaine over recent years, he says. Drugs are transported on so-called "mother" ships by gangs in South America who are in touch with criminals in the UK using satellite phones. When the vessels are in British waters the packages are thrown overboard to be collected by smaller "daughter" boats, which locate the contraband. Mr Eastaugh says the problem is "significant" but "we are able to identify, track, locate, seize and ultimately prosecute and imprison those that are involved". Last week, Truro Crown Court heard that last September four men on a boat called the Lily Lola sailed to an area near the Scilly Isles on instructions from a gang in South America. There, they retrieved a tonne of cocaine dumped by a larger vessel floating in the sea - but before they could bring it back to shore they were intercepted by officers from the NCA. Jon Williams, 46, the captain of the boat, and Patrick Godfrey, 31, both from Swansea, were hired by Michael Kelly, 45, and Jake Marchant, 27, because of their boat handling skills, the court heard. They will return to court to be sentenced on 8 May. There have been a number of other high-profile incidents over the last two years, including: Parcels of cocaine washed up along beaches on the Isle of Wight in October 2023 Bags of the drug were found at Durdle Door in Dorset, also in 2023, and at Goring, in West Sussex An inflatable boat was intercepted off Suffolk, in June 2024, carrying drugs retrieved from a mother ship. Two men dived off the boat in a failed attempt to escape Border Force officers. Prof Adam Winstock, a consultant psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist who spends much of his time working in prisons, says the purity and price of cocaine has "remained immune to inflation over the last five years". As a result, he says "it doesn't matter to [smugglers] if they lose 20% of shipments" through seizures by authorities because the mark-up on the drug is so high. Despite record seizures in 2024, the number of cocaine-linked deaths in the UK is at a 30-year high. There were 1,118 deaths in 2023 - ten times higher than in 2011, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics. Derek Evans from the NCA, who led the investigation into the Lily Lola, warned people working in the fishing community: "If someone from a crime group approaches you, please let the police know. If you are tempted to go into this line of industry in the criminal framework, think twice". How a plan to land £100m of cocaine on a Highland beach went wrong The homemade submarines smuggling cocaine to Europe Cocaine use fuels record high in drug deaths
BBC News
21-03-2025
- BBC News
Cocaine being smuggled to UK via sea drops, Border Force warns
South American drug gangs are dropping cocaine in the sea around the UK to be picked up by smaller boats and brought to shore, Border Force has of millions of pounds worth of drugs are being wrapped in flotation devices equipped with trackers, allowing gang members in Britain to see where they are, officials sophisticated method of smuggling large quantities of the drug into the UK has become a "significant and persistent threat", they week, a court heard that four British men were arrested after picking up a tonne of cocaine, with a street value of £100m, left near the Isles of Scilly in September. They face lengthy prison sentences. In an effort to intercept the parcels, Border Force has deployed its cutter units, alongside highly trained sniffer News got rare access to this unit, including a dog called Flash who sniffed out a cocaine haul hidden among bananas on a ship inbound from South America in January. The drugs - packed in waterproof parcels and equipped with trackers - were found behind the locked doors of a container on the vessel, which was stopped off the coast of Dover, Kent, and had a street value of more than £50m."They were bundled into around 30kg blocks, with life jackets which would then be inflated… and that would be thrown overboard," Charlie Eastaugh, maritime director at Border Force, told the tactic known as an ASDO, or at-sea-drop-off, has led to seizures of multiple tonnes of cocaine over recent years, he says. 'Track, locate, seize' Drugs are transported on so-called "mother" ships by gangs in South America who are in touch with criminals in the UK using satellite phones. When the vessels are in British waters the packages are thrown overboard to be collected by smaller "daughter" boats, which locate the Eastaugh says the problem is "significant" but "we are able to identify, track, locate, seize and ultimately prosecute and imprison those that are involved". Last week, Truro Crown Court heard that last September four men on a boat called the Lily Lola sailed to an area near the Scilly Isles on instructions from a gang in South they retrieved a tonne of cocaine dumped by a larger vessel floating in the sea - but before they could bring it back to shore they were intercepted by officers from the Williams, 46, the captain of the boat, and Patrick Godfrey, 31, both from Swansea, were hired by Michael Kelly, 45, and Jake Marchant, 27, because of their boat handling skills, the court will return to court to be sentenced on 8 May. There have been a number of other high-profile incidents over the last two years, including: Parcels of cocaine washed up along beaches on the Isle of Wight in October 2023Bags of the drug were found at Durdle Door in Dorset, also in 2023, and at Goring, in West SussexAn inflatable boat was intercepted off Suffolk, in June 2024, carrying drugs retrieved from a mother ship. Two men dived off the boat in a failed attempt to escape Border Force officers. Prof Adam Winstock, a consultant psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist who spends much of his time working in prisons, says the purity and price of cocaine has "remained immune to inflation over the last five years".As a result, he says "it doesn't matter to [smugglers] if they lose 20% of shipments" through seizures by authorities because the mark-up on the drug is so high. Despite record seizures in 2024, the number of cocaine-linked deaths in the UK is at a 30-year high. There were 1,118 deaths in 2023 - ten times higher than in 2011, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Evans from the NCA, who led the investigation into the Lily Lola, warned people working in the fishing community: "If someone from a crime group approaches you, please let the police know. If you are tempted to go into this line of industry in the criminal framework, think twice".
