Two men from Swansea had a surprising catch when their fishing trip turned out to be a cover for smuggling a staggering £100m worth of cocaine. Jon Williams and Patrick Godfrey claimed to be shark fishing as they set sail on the Lily Lola fishing boat, but they had more illicit plans in mind. The vessel was intercepted by Border Force officers off the coast of Cornwall last September, where over a ton of high-purity cocaine was discovered onboard. The Class A drug was concealed in large hessian-wrapped packages on the boat, showcasing a sophisticated smuggling operation.
Williams, who had purchased the boat for £140,000 just two months prior, was steering the Lily Lola when law enforcement authorities intervened. Meanwhile, Godfrey was found asleep in a deck chair on the boat. Investigations revealed that the fishing boat had picked up the packages, which had been tossed into the sea near the Isles of Scilly by unknown individuals likely based in South America. The Lily Lola’s cargo was examined and confirmed to contain cocaine with a street value of up to £100m, highlighting the significant scale of the smuggling attempt.
Prior to their departure from Newquay to retrieve the packages, Williams had misled individuals at the harbour by claiming they were going shark fishing. The involvement of the crew in the illicit operation became further evident when data from a Garmin device onboard the Lily Lola was analysed. Messages retrieved from the device indicated that the crew had been receiving instructions and coordinates from a third party regarding the location of the drug-filled packages. Some messages suggested that the crew had failed to retrieve a portion of the bags meant for them.
In a damning discovery, Godfrey’s phone showed messages instructing to delete any incriminating evidence and inquiries like “how long does it take a ship to leave Peru to UK.” Unbeknownst to the individuals on board, the National Crime Agency (NCA) had been monitoring the Lily Lola and its crew for some time, employing undercover officers and installing listening devices and a GPS tracker on the vessel. The NCA, in collaboration with Border Force, successfully intercepted the smuggling attempt, preventing the influx of a significant quantity of drugs into the UK.
Following a trial at Truro Crown Court, Williams, aged 46, and Godfrey, aged 31, were convicted of conspiracy to smuggle. Two other men found on the fishing boat during interception had previously pleaded guilty to the same offence. Michael John Paul Kelly, 45, from Manchester, and Jake Marchant, 27, of no fixed address, will also face sentencing alongside Williams and Godfrey on May 8. The NCA’s branch commander, Derek Evans, emphasised the impact of thwarting such criminal activities, stating that the intervention prevented detrimental consequences on communities and disrupted a major drug supply chain.
The successful interception of the Lily Lola represents a significant accomplishment in combating organised crime and drug trafficking in the UK. The collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies were instrumental in preventing a substantial quantity of cocaine from reaching the streets, thereby safeguarding communities from the harmful effects of drug abuse. The sentencing of the individuals involved in the smuggling attempt will serve as a deterrent to others contemplating engaging in illicit activities, underlining the commitment to upholding law and order across the country.