Two men have been charged after a significant £26.5 million worth of cocaine was discovered at sea off the coast of Somerset. Colin Benson, 59, and Joshua Rose, 38, both from Longton, Preston, were arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers on November 4 as part of the ongoing investigation.
The pair appeared before Taunton Magistrates' Court on November 6 charged with importing Class A drugs and were remanded in custody ahead of their next court date on December 5.
This development follows the July seizure near Watchet, west Somerset, where authorities recovered 322 kilograms of cocaine dropped offshore. Four other suspects connected to the importation have already pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced at North Somerset Magistrates Court on November 13.
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The National Crime Agency continues to clamp down on drug trafficking efforts in the region, emphasizing the scale and seriousness of this operation.