Jury Informed of Two Failed Cocaine Smuggling Attempts

Two men are facing charges related to drug offenses after half a tonne (500kg) of cocaine was discovered in the car park of a pub in an East Yorkshire village. The National Crime Agency reported that the drugs, found in a van at The Stags Head Inn in Lelley, near Hedon, on 4 May, had an estimated street value of £40m. They were suspected of having been transferred from a vessel operating off the Hull coastline. Authorities reported the discovery of an abandoned inflatable boat on rocks at Easington. Mark Moran, 23, of Glenfyne Terrace, Ardrishaig, and Anthony McAllister, 33, of Aldersyde, Taynuilt, have both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to import and supply Class A drugs. Prosecutor Angus McDonald informed Hull Crown Court on Tuesday that the defendants’ plans encountered difficulties prior to their apprehension. After purchasing a fishing boat for £40,000, the two men subsequently abandoned it in Lowestoft, Suffolk, following a search by Border Force officials on 24 April, preceding the collection of the cocaine. Mr McDonald stated that the alleged conspiracy was evidently profitable enough for the defendants to make that choice. In a second attempt, the men traveled to Hull and booked into a hotel before proceeding to Dewsbury to acquire a 4×4 vehicle equipped with a tow bar, the court heard. Upon their return, they acquired a second vessel from a local establishment for £10,000 and transported it to Stone Creek on the Humber Estuary. Their attempt to launch it occurred shortly before 23:00 GMT on 26 April, Mr McDonald further noted. Speaking to the jury, the prosecutor raised questions regarding any legitimate reason the men might have had for attempting to embark at such a late hour and in darkness. He stated that this attempt similarly proved unsuccessful, attributed to insufficient water levels. Evidence of communications exchanged between the individuals was also presented to the court, which Mr McDonald asserted demonstrated their awareness “full well what the plan was, and what they would be transporting”. The proceedings are ongoing.