Latest news with #FerhatGumrukguoglu
The Independent
17-05-2025
- The Independent
Drug smugglers caught with £37 million of cocaine in inflatable boat are jailed
Two drug smugglers who tried to move tens of millions of pounds of cocaine into the UK using an inflatable boat have been jailed. Bruce Knowles, 56, of Dereham, Norfolk, and Ferhat Gumrukguoglu, 32, from the Netherlands, were respectively sentenced to 17 years and three months in prison and 15 years during a hearing on Friday. The pair were caught by Border Force near East Benacre Broads in Suffolk in June last year attempting to sneak £37 million of cocaine into the UK. Officers discovered 350kg of cocaine, with a high purity rate of 78 to 84 per cent, hidden under a tarpaulin in the boat's hull. It is believed the men retrieved the drugs from a larger vessel off the coast of France. Two months earlier, they had completed a 'dry run', the court heard. In the June incident, the drug smugglers failed to stop for Border Force, with Gumrukguoglu jumping overboard and swimming towards shore while Knowles restarted the boat's engines and attempted to flee. Gumrukguoglu was arrested eight hours later after being found wandering around the town of Beccles barefoot by officers from Norfolk and Suffolk Police. Knowles' boat was grounded on a beach near Lowestoft after a pursuit, and he too jumped overboard to try to evade arrest. Paul Orchard, NCA operations manager, said: 'This was a fast-moving and dynamic interception of two men attempting to smuggle in a huge quantity of Class A drugs. 'Knowles and Gumrukguoglu continued to try and evade arrest to avoid a significant loss for their crime group.' The court was told that a van was waiting in Orton Broad to transport the smugglers and the haul of drugs ready for distribution at a second location. Judge Benson said the pair's 'substantial and important' role meant their sentences would be significant. 'If people like you were not prepared to smuggle large quantities of cocaine, then cocaine would not be available for addicts in the UK,' he said. Charlie Eastaugh, Border Force Maritime Director added in a statement: "Border Force officers are committed to disrupting organised crime and keeping Britain safe by preventing deadly drugs from reaching our streets. "During this pursuit, maritime officers bravely intercepted these criminals and seized 350kg of cocaine, ensuring those who threatened our border security are now facing the full force of the law."
BBC News
17-05-2025
- BBC News
Men caught with £37m of cocaine in boat off Suffolk coast jailed
Two drug smugglers who were caught with millions of pounds worth of cocaine in an inflatable boat off the Suffolk coast have been Knowles, 56, of Dereham, Norfolk, and Ferhat Gumrukguoglu, 32, from the Netherlands, tried to sneak £37m of cocaine into the defendants were arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) after being found with the haul near Benacre Broad on 24 June last Ipswich Crown Court, Judge Richard Benson KC sentenced Knowles to 17 years and three months in prison and Gumrukguoglu to 15 years and said it was "clearly a sophisticated [operation]". During the hearing, the court heard how the pair had trialled a "dry run" of the operation in April before attempting the real thing two months in June, they were confronted close to the shoreline while heading towards Lowestoft by Border Force officers who tried to intercept their rigid-hulled inflatable "ignored repeated requests to stop and give up chase" but was captured and arrested by NCA officers. Gumrukguoglu jumped overboard before swimming to shore and was detained eight hours later after being found wandering around Beccles inspecting the boat, officers discovered 22 packages under a tarpaulin containing 350kg of cocaine, with a high purity rate of 78 to 84%.Investigators believed the pair had travelled out to sea, where they met a larger ship in waters between England and France, before collecting the and Gumrukguoglu had then planned to transfer the drugs into a van, which had been positioned in Orton Broad, before transporting them to another location ready for distribution. Alastair Smith, prosecuting, said the defendants had played a "leading role" in the operation and there was "no evidence" they were "acting under the direction of another".Defending Knowles, Stephen Spence, however, argued that "common sense dictated there must have been others above them" who were pulling the strings."Giving someone £37m of drugs means there is a trust that is not likely to be broken because they know what the outcome would be they double crossed them," he added."These two people were part of the operational chain but were far from the leading lights of it." David Mason, defending Gumrukguoglu, agreed "there were people higher up" but accepted his client had been an "important cog in the wheel".He said Gumrukguoglu had taken on the operation because he was trying to "pay off a very significant drug debt" after losing another batch of drugs in the Benson took the pair's previous guilty pleas into consideration, but said their "substantial and important" role meant their sentences would be significant."If people like you were not prepared to smuggle large quantities of cocaine then cocaine would not be available for addicts in the UK," he said.
The Sun
16-05-2025
- The Sun
Moment drug-smuggling pals DIVE into water during boat chase as they attempt to flee Border Force with cocaine in hull
THIS is the shocking moment a group of drug-smuggling pals dove into the water during a boat chase as they tried to flee from border police. Bruce Knowles, 56, and Ferhat Gumrukguoglu, 32, were intercepted off the coast of Suffolk by cops while carrying 350kg of cocaine - worth £39m - in the hull of their boat. 4 4 4 4 Incredible footage shows the moment officers approached the vessel as it raced "suspiciously" along the coastline in June 2024. Pulling up alongside, border police begin shouting at the two smugglers to stop moving. After Gumrukguoglu and Knowles pull up alongside the officers, the force can be heard asking questions to the drug smugglers. As their boats begin to drift apart, one officer can be heard saying they are going to board the smugglers' ship. Just as they begin to attempt to do so, Gumrukguoglu and Knowles race away at speed, in an attempt to escape the officers. As the cops chase them down, Gumrukguoglu launches himself off the boat in a desperate attempt to flee. Shouts of "man in the water" can be heard as Border Force officers continued their hot pursuit of Knowles. After eventually stopping him alongside their boat, they ask the criminal to "stand down", as he had "been warned". However, in a last-ditch attempt, Knowles also dived into the water, and attempted to flee towards the nearby coast. The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed on Friday that both Knowles and Gumrukguoglu have now been sentenced in regards to the crimes. Brit teen facing life in prison after being 'caught with 14kg of cannabis' in her luggage after huge airport arrest Both men had been charged with importing a controlled drug and pleaded guilty to this at Ipswich Crown Court in August last year. On Friday, Knowles was sentenced to 17 years and three months in prison, while Gumrukguoglu was given 15 years in prison. Paul Orchard, NCA operations manager, said: "This was a fast-moving and dynamic interception of two men attempting to smuggle in a huge quantity of Class A drugs. "Knowles and Gumrukguoglu continued to try and evade arrest to avoid a significant loss for their crime group. They now face long prison sentences. "With thanks to our partners in Border Force and the Joint Maritime Security Centre, a significant amount of class A drugs have been removed from the criminal marketplace where further criminality and exploitation would have followed. "The NCA is committed to protecting the public from serious and organised crime and stopping criminals from fuelling the UK drugs trade." Charlie Eastaugh, Border Force Maritime Director added: "Border Force officers are committed to disrupting organised crime and keeping Britain safe by preventing deadly drugs from reaching our streets. "During this pursuit, maritime officers bravely intercepted these criminals and seized 350kg of cocaine, ensuring those who threatened our border security are now facing the full force of the law." HOW THE SMUGGLING UNFOLDED In a statement, the NCA confirmed the pair's crimes and sentencing. The agency said: "Two men who jumped from a boat and attempted to swim to shore after 350 kilos of cocaine was discovered in the hull have been sentenced. "Bruce Knowles, 56, from Dereham, and Ferhat Gumrukguoglu, 32, from the Netherlands, were intercepted on a rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) near East Benacre Broads in Suffolk in June 2024. "The men had been spotted on the vessel and failed to stop for a Border Force cutter. Gumrukguoglu jumped from the boat and swam towards the beach as Knowles restarted the engines and attempted to flee. "After a pursuit, the boat was grounded on the beach – but as officers moved in to arrest Knowles, he also jumped overboard to try to escape." The NCA explained that officers from Norfolk and Suffolk Police chased down Gumrukguoglu after he fled from the beach, later managing to arrest him on the same day in nearby Wrentham, Norfolk. After the smugglers' boat was towed to a harbour in Lowestoft, NCA officers discovered the enormous haul of cocaine - worth an estimated £39 million - hidden under the tarpaulin in the hull of the boat. Investigators believe Knowles and Gumrukguoglu travelled towards French waters to pick up the drugs from a larger ship, before bringing them back to the UK. Four Brits arrested at sea trying to smuggle £100 million worth of cocaine into UK jailed for combined 90 years FOUR Brits nicked at sea trying to smuggle £100million of cocaine into the UK have been jailed for a total of 90 years. The quartet set out on fishing boat the Lily Lola to pick up drugs in the Channel off the Isles of Scilly. An Apple AirTag on each bag dropped at sea indicated its location. A Border Force vessel intercepted the gang off north Cornwall and found on board 1,078 1kg blocks of cocaine from South America. As officers approached, a covert audio device hidden on the gang's boat recorded one of them saying, 'We're f****d'. Michael Kelly, 45, of Manchester, and Jake Marchant, 27, of no fixed abode, admitted conspiring to smuggle cocaine. They got 21 and 18 years respectively. Jon Williams, 45, and Patrick Godfrey, 31, both of Swansea, were convicted of the charge at Truro crown court. They got 26 and 25 years. The court heard Godfrey was asleep on deck in a chair when the fishing boat was raided in September. The gang also left 19 drug bags at sea.
