Swansea men deny conspiracy to smuggle £200m of cocaine into UK on fishing boat
Two men from Swansea have denied being part of a gang that allegedly attempted to smuggle a tonne of cocaine into the UK. Jon Paul Williams and Patrick Godfrey were among four men arrested after Border Force officers intercepted a fishing boat off the Cornish coast on September 13 this year. The National Crime Agency revealed that the vessel, the Torbay-registered Lily Lola, was found to contain almost a tonne of the Class A drug worth around £200m. Four men were subsequently charged in relation to the seizure.
Jon Paul Williams, aged 46, of St Thomas, Swansea; Patrick Godfrey, aged 30, of Port Tennant, Swansea; Michael Kelly, aged 45, of Portway, Manchester; and 26-year-old Jake Marchant, of no fixed address, all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to import a controlled drug of Class A when they appeared at Truro Crown Court. A trial date was set for March 3 next year with a pre-trial review to be held in February.
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The fishing vessel Lily Lola was intercepted by Border Force officers, leading to the discovery of almost a tonne of cocaine on board. The four men charged with conspiracy to import the Class A drug maintained their innocence during their appearance at Truro Crown Court. The trial is scheduled for March 3 next year, with a pre-trial review set for February, as they face the accusations related to the £200m drug seizure.