Two men from Preston have been convicted in connection with a major cocaine smuggling operation involving 322 kilograms of cocaine valued at £26.5 million, seized off the coast of Somerset at Watchet Marina.
Colin Benson, 60, and Joshua Rose, 38, both from Longton, Lancashire, were arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) following the high-profile seizure on July 30, 2025. The pair awaited the return of a Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) named “the Guzzla,” which had gone offshore to retrieve the illicit drugs.
Onboard the RHIB were Craig Nuttall, 51, Anestis Tsepa, 25, and Melios Delvina, 39, while Benson, Rose, and Raymond Nuttall, 48, stayed onshore. The Nuttall brothers, also from Preston, were sentenced last year for their roles in the operation.
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Investigations revealed Benson had made multiple reconnaissance trips between Preston and Watchet Marina before the cocaine retrieval. He met with Raymond Nuttall, Tsepa, and Delvina the day prior to the importation. After the arrests of the four men at 1 a.m. on July 31, Benson and Rose left the scene separately but traveled back to Preston together.
ANPR camera footage confirmed Benson’s frequent visits to Watchet Marina, including encounters with the Nuttalls and times spent near their van. On the evening of the drug collection, he was seen with Raymond Nuttall just before the RHIB’s return.
Authorities discovered 14 large parcels hidden along the RHIB’s floor and between seats, containing 322 individual packages of cocaine weighing one kilogram each. Laboratory tests confirmed the cocaine’s purity at 89 percent. Alongside the drugs, a firearm was recovered aboard the vessel.
Financial records showed close monetary ties between Benson and Rose, highlighted by 24 payments made by a company linked to Rose to Benson during the year surrounding the smuggling plot.
The four men arrested on the RHIB had previously pleaded guilty to drug importation offences, resulting in a combined prison sentence of 49 years. Tsepa also admitted possession of the firearm. Benson and Rose were arrested in Lancashire in November 2025.
Following a two-week trial at North Somerset Crown Court, Benson was convicted on April 22 of knowingly participating in the importation of cocaine. Rose had earlier admitted involvement in organised crime activities.
On April 23, Benson was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison. Rose’s sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Alan French commented, “Benson and Rose played a central role in orchestrating this dangerous operation despite trying to appear as bystanders. Though they fled once their partners were arrested, they could not escape justice. The NCA remains committed to preventing class A drugs entering the UK through maritime smuggling.”
The NCA carried out this operation with vital support from Border Force, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Avon and Somerset Police, and Devon and Cornwall Police.