Two Havant men have been convicted of importing Class A drugs following a dramatic high-speed boat chase off the Newquay coast, during which they threw cocaine packages overboard before running aground at Penzance.
Peter Williams, 43, and Scott Johnston, 38, both from Havant, led Border Force officers on a 28-mile pursuit on 13th September 2024, desperately hurling packages into the sea as they attempted to escape. Six substantial bales of cocaine were subsequently retrieved from the water, whilst the duo were apprehended after their vessel beached at Penzance and they attempted to escape on foot.
A third individual aboard the boat, Edwin Yahir Tabora Baca, 33, from Barcelona, Spain, was also detained. The National Crime Agency (NCA) assumed control of the case, conducting a thorough examination of CCTV footage, call records and mobile phone communications.
The investigation revealed the involvement of four additional men who had orchestrated the cocaine collection operation. These individuals were Alex Fowlie, 35, from Chichester; Bobbie Pearce, 29, from Brentwood; Michael May, 47, from Brentwood; and Terry Willis, 44, from Chelmsford.
Fowlie had acquired the vessel intended for collecting the cocaine from a larger ship offshore. Audio recordings discovered on his mobile phone disclosed plans for additional maritime drug collections merely three days following his accomplices’ arrests.
The remaining three arrested individuals – Pearce, May and Willis – had been positioned along the Cornish coastline awaiting the cocaine delivery.
Initially, all seven men denied any involvement in wrongdoing, with Tabora Baca maintaining he was merely a tourist who had accepted an invitation from two strangers. However, photographs of the cocaine aboard the vessel were subsequently discovered on his mobile phone.
When confronted with the evidence, five defendants eventually admitted guilt to conspiracy to import Class A drugs. May and Johnston maintained their innocence but were found guilty of conspiracy to import Class A drugs on Monday, 23rd June, following a fortnight-long trial.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Barry Vinall commented: “The NCA spearheads the UK’s campaign against the illicit drugs trade, collaborating with partners to safeguard the public.
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“This cocaine would have inflicted considerable harm had it reached our streets, but thanks to the vigilance and determination of Border Force officers, it will be the drugs that are destroyed, not lives. Together, the NCA and Border Force have ensured that seven key drug importers face justice and that organised criminals will not receive the millions in profits they anticipated from this consignment.”
Duncan Capps, Senior Director of Border Force Maritime, stated: “Border Force’s responsibility is protecting our borders and maintaining community safety. Our officers performed exceptionally, demonstrating remarkable expertise throughout the 28-mile chase, despite the suspects’ efforts to dispose of evidence.
“Border Force will continue collaborating with the NCA to prevent dangerous drugs from reaching our streets and will ensure criminals caught smuggling face the full weight of the law.”
All seven men have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Truro Crown Court on 1st August.
