Preston men convicted in connection with 322 kilos of cocaine "at sea drop off"

Two men from Preston have been convicted – and one jailed for more than 20 years - following the collection of cocaine worth £26.5 million which was dropped off at sea off the Somerset coast.

Colin Benson, 60, and Joshua Rose, 38, both from Longton, were arrested by National Crime Agency officers who had investigated the seizure at Watchet Marina last year.

The pair waited on the shore for the return of a Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) called the Guzzla which had been sent to out to collect the drugs on 30th July 2025, with Craig Nuttall, 51, Anestis Tsepa, 25, and 39-year-old Melios Delvina on board. Also waiting on land was Craig Nuttall’s 48-year-old brother Raymond.

Colin Benson had driven back and forth from Preston to the marina on a number of occasions before the day of the drugs collection, to plan the event, and met up with Colin’s friend Raymond Nuttall, along with Tsepa and Delvina, the day before.

But Benson and Rose left Watchet in their respective vehicles immediately after NCA officers arrested the other four men on suspicion of importation of Class A drugs at 1am on 31 July. The pair drove in convoy all the way back to Preston.

Benson had visited Watchet on four separate days immediately before the drugs collection, with his red Range Rover been picked up by ANPR cameras during his trips down south.

He had met the Nuttalls on three separate occasions, including in the marina car park. NCA officers observed him in and around the Nuttall’s van on the day before the collection, and the hours leading up to the importation. He was seen on the evening of the importation with Raymond Nuttall shortly before the RHIB returned to Watchet.

Following the arrests, the Guzzla was searched and found to contain a large number of bale-sized packages that had been stored along the floor and between the seats. There were 14 packages in total, containing a further 322 smaller packages weighing a kilo each.

The substance inside was tested and found to be cocaine with an 89% purity. The drugs would be worth £26.5 million at street level. A firearm was also discovered in the boat.

Investigations showed that Benson and Rose were linked financially, with a company connected to Rose making 24 separate payments to Benson in the period of a year before and after the importation.

The other four men pleaded guilty to drugs importation charges last year and have been sentenced to a total of 49 years. Tsepa also pleaded guilty to possession of the firearm found on the boat.

NCA officers arrested Rose and Benson in Lancashire in November 2025. A jury at North Somerset Crown Court convicted Benson, of Marsh Lane, of being knowingly concerned in the importation of cocaine yesterday (22 April) following a two-week trial. Rose, of Hall Lane, pleaded guilty to an offence of participating in the activities of an organised crime group at an earlier hearing.

At the same court today (23 April) Benson was sentenced to 20 years and six months imprisonment. Rose will be sentenced at a later date.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Alan French said: “Benson and Rose adopted the role of bystanders and clearly didn’t want to embark on such a risky journey to collect this valuable cargo. However, they played a central role in planning the conspiracy through the numerous trips made down south.

“When their accomplices were arrested, they knew the game was up and left the scene in haste. It’s possible they thought that law enforcement wouldn’t bother to arrest them and make them accountable for their crimes, but the NCA will never cease in bringing those involved in smuggling class A drugs to justice.

“The NCA tackles at-sea drugs drop-offs as a priority to ensure illegal drugs do not make it to UK shores. Dedicated Officers from the NCA were aided by, and are grateful for, the vital support of, our partners in Border Force, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Avon and Somerset Police and Devon and Cornwall Police.”