Drug smuggler jailed over speedboat operation

A man who was part of a gang that tried to smuggle £26.5m worth of cocaine into the UK through a Somerset harbour has been jailed for 10 years and seven months.

Melios Delvina, 38, was involved in bringing 300kg of the drug to Watchet Harbour, using a cover story that they were in the area to fish.

Delvina, along with Craig Nuttall, 51, his brother Raymond Nuttall, 47, from Preston and Anestis Tsepa, 24, were arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency at the harbour in July.

The Nuttalls have already been jailed for 11 years, while Tsepa received a 16-year sentence after pleading guilty to drug importation.

On the evening of 30 July, Craig Nuttall, Tsepa and Delvina took a speedboat from Watchet Harbour, intending to pick up the drugs, which had been dropped off by a larger vessel out to sea.

They returned to the marina at 01:00 BST and began trying to connect the boat to a trailer that Raymond Nuttall had driven down the slipway, but were arrested by NCA officers.

The speedboat was searched, with the cocaine and a gun found inside.

The Nuttalls pleaded guilty to importation of cocaine at Taunton Crown Court on 29 August, with Tsepa and Delvina admitting the same charges on 5 September.

Tsepa also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition.

NCA Regional Head of Investigations Gavin Webb said: "These men were working as part of an organised crime group, using the cover of darkness to collect a significant amount of cocaine that would have ended up on the streets of the UK.

"They were fuelled by greed – if their attempt had been successful it would have netted them millions of pounds in profit. The presence of a firearm in the boat shows the levels they were willing to go to with their offending."

Delvina was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court on Monday.

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