A Liverpool crime boss and ten accomplices lost a whopping £40m worth of cocaine in the sea after tracking devices failed. Sam Brown, 33, from Kirkdale, was one of 11 involved in the botched heist. The plan? Snatch the drugs from international waters and sell 'em on. But it all went south when the trackers went dead.
On August 17, David Paterson, 49, set sail from Portsmouth to collect the 500kg stash. The drugs were supposed to be dropped by a container ship and tracked back. But the ship sailed past, leaving Paterson in the dark. He returned empty-handed, with no signal from the trackers.
The next day, the trackers came back online. Adil Nolan, 40, took over, recovering 16 bales of high-purity cocaine. They made it to Medmerry Beach, only to find the feds waiting. Eleven people were charged, with four convicted and seven admitting their roles.
Daniel Jamieson, 41, from Essex, was a key player, masquerading as a legit businessman. He bought a maritime biz to get the boat. Brown and Kennedy helped recruit others and move the drugs. Lewis Watts, 37, from Essex, handled logistics and communications. Nolan skippered the boat, and Paterson was the initial sailor.
NCA senior investigating officer Jules Harriman said: 'This seizure is a major loss for the crime group. We’ve stopped these toxic drugs from hitting UK streets.' The convicted will be sentenced on November 5 and 6.