Defendants in £40m cocaine smuggling case claim they believed cargo was tobacco, court hears

A court was informed that two individuals, charged in connection with a plot to import cocaine valued at over £40m on the street, maintained they thought the substance was tobacco. On 4 May, half a tonne (500kg) of cocaine was discovered inside a van located at The Stags Head Inn in Lelley, a village situated near Hedon, East Yorkshire. Mark Moran, 23, residing at 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. The jury presiding over their trial at Hull Crown Court has withdrawn to deliberate its decision. During earlier proceedings, the court heard that both defendants acknowledged their involvement in retrieving the shipment from a pre-arranged rendezvous point in the North Sea, but they asserted they were unaware it contained cocaine, which originated from Colombia. Mr Moran’s defence barrister, Derek Duffy, informed the court: “They were like a mushroom – kept in the dark – only told what they needed to know.” He further stated: “If you are a Colombian drug dealer and you want to get drugs into the UK – perhaps getting the drugs out of the country is not that difficult – the risk starts when others become involved and know what is going on.” Mr Duffy explained to the court that his client received details regarding the operation solely at the final moment, a measure taken to mitigate the danger of rival criminal organizations seizing the cocaine. It was also disclosed in court that the undertaking had accrued significant expenses, among them the acquisition of a £40,000 boat. This vessel was subsequently abandoned at Lowestoft, Suffolk, following a search by Border Force officials on 25 April, prior to any illicit goods being gathered. Mr McAllister, whose role was to captain the boat, testified to the court that the vessel was unseaworthy. The boat ultimately employed for the operation was purchased for £6,000 from Wells in Somerset, accompanied by a Volvo vehicle acquired from Bristol. This vehicle was subsequently found on the beach at Easington, East Yorkshire. Mr Duffy stated that the prosecution’s argument hinged on the premise that the operational costs indicated it would not have been financially feasible if the cargo had been tobacco. Nevertheless, he contended that it resembled any other commercial enterprise, requiring the acquisition of equipment for its execution. The court was informed that the excise duty applicable to imported hand-rolling tobacco would have amounted to approximately £200,000. Mr Duffy acknowledged that the defendants admitted their actions were illicit, but he asserted to the jury that the prosecution had presented no proof demonstrating their awareness that the substance was cocaine. David Hall, Mr McAllister’s barrister, commented: “By his own account he [Mr McAllister] was up to no good.” He further stated, however, that his client, possessing lifelong experience with boats, had been instructed to retrieve a shipment of tobacco. While testifying, Mr McAllister informed the court: “If I had known then I was going to be involved in the smuggling of cocaine I would have said no – that ruins lives.” In his address to the jury, Mr Duffy made reference to Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. “Half think he is saviour of democracy and will make America great again – the other half believe he is the enemy and it’s the end of the world as we know it.” He continued: “Tens of millions who have been given the same facts and yet have come to diametrically opposed conclusions.” “The principal issue is not whether they were bringing contraband into the country – the issue is what it was.” The proceedings are ongoing.