Five men admit smuggling £34m of cocaine at sea

Five men have pleaded guilty to importing 425kg (937lb) of cocaine into Eastbourne Marina on a fishing boat.

Alan John Colquhoun, 49, from Clackmannanshire, Scotland, William Donohoe, 38, from Airdrie, Scotland, Ian Smith, 49, and Jacob Cronin, 31, both from Eastbourne, and Daniel Ruffell, 35, from Slough, all admitted conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class A drug.

Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) found the drugs, with a street value of £34m, on 8 June, a hearing at Hove Crown Court was told.

Multiple packages were found on the New Horizon fishing vessel, following a drug collection at sea in the English Channel.

All men have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced in October.

Carl Barrass, NCA senior investigating officer, said the seizure of the cocaine "represents a significant loss to the organised crime group behind its importation".

He added: "Combating the threat of Class A drugs is a priority for the NCA and we will continue to work with partners at home and abroad to protect the public."