A Stoke-on-Trent man is among members of an organised crime group sentenced to more than 100 years in jail collectively after arranging for 500kg of cocaine to be dropped at sea.

Following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation, 12 criminals who plotted to bring the £40m consignment of Class A drugs ashore were sentenced yesterday and today (Fri 6 November) at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Among them is 62-year-old Carl Powner of Park Road, Stoke-on-Trent, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Jules Harriman, NCA senior investigating officer, said: "The main players from this conspiracy are facing very long periods behind bars.

"Had their smuggling attempt worked, these toxic drugs would have brought misery and violence to many communities around the country.

"The crime group responsible for supplying these offenders has lost their drugs and massive profits that can no longer be ploughed back into further offending.

"Working with partners such as Border Force, the NCA will continue to do all it can to protect the public from the threat of Class A drugs."

On 19 August 2024 NCA officers were waiting for the crime group when they brought 16 bales of cocaine - with a purity of about 85 per cent - onto Medmerry Beach near Selsey in West Sussex, after recovering the drugs from the ocean.

It is believed the drugs were dropped into the water a few days earlier about 40 nautical miles south of the Needles, to the west of the Isle of Wight, by an accomplice crew aboard a container ship.

The drugs were in waterproof bundles, each fitted with a GPS tracker.

The NCA said organised crime group (OCG) bosses were Daniel Jamieson, 41, and Sam Brown, 33, respectively sentenced to 22 years and 16 years and six months.

Jamieson, of Heath Road, Ramsden Heath, Essex, masqueraded as a legitimate businessman.

Using a false name, he bought a maritime business so he could get hold of the 'Amma Sigga', a Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to recover the drugs.

He was convicted at trial of conspiring to smuggle cocaine.

Brown, who lived at Wykeham Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool, during the conspiracy period, admitted the same charge.

The police said he played a key role in recruiting others.

Brown, a cocaine user, is originally from Essex with links to Basildon and Laindon. He enlisted the help of Harry Kennedy, 38, who lived on the same street in Liverpool.

He became involved in the plot on 18 August when Brown asked him to help move the cocaine once ashore.

The NCA added that messages between the pair recovered during the investigation showed they were also involved in the supply of drugs separately from this investigation.

Kennedy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle cocaine and was jailed for nine years.

Carl Powner was described by the NCA as a "key offender in the group". He recruited drivers for the OCG and purchased equipment as well as sailing out in the Amma Sigga to recover the drugs.

Powner escaped arrest and fled abroad, but following an NCA investigation to trace him, he was arrested in Romania in May this year and extradited to face justice.

He recovered the drugs from the sea with Adil Nolan, 40, of Maureen Walk, Fazakerley, Liverpool.

Like Powner, Nolan admitted conspiracy to smuggle cocaine, and was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison.

Oil rig worker David Paterson, 49, of Viking Way, Peterhead near Aberdeen, had tried to recover the drugs from the water a few days before they were found by Powner and Nolan.

In the early hours of 17 August, he sailed out from Haslar Marina in Portsmouth into international waters.

The NCA explained that Paterson was supposed to retrieve the drugs and return them to shore where the OCG would sell them onto other crime groups around the UK.

However, the container ship the drugs were dropped from sailed past Paterson, who was taking directions via WhatsApp from accomplice Lewis Watts, 37, who was ashore.

"Big ship has passed you, flash lights," he instructed Paterson.

Watts added: "Big ship has passed you, chase it and flash lights."

The container ship sailed on leaving Paterson to locate the drugs from the trackers – but the trackers had failed and were not sending a signal.

Paterson returned to shore empty handed hours later. He was convicted by the jury of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine and jailed for 14 years.

Watts, of Toronto Road, Tilbury, Essex, was described by the NCA as "Jamieson's right-hand man and instrumental to the conspiracy".

He took charge of a prepaid credit card that was set up to fund the conspiracy.

He sourced locations for the RHIB to land, researched and purchased equipment, assisted in the boat's set up and acted as a go between for conspirators in real life and online.

He was convicted at trial of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine and jailed for 14 years.

The following five offenders were part of the landing party on Medmerry Beach. They were convicted of assisting an organised crime group.

Charlotte Blenman, 34 of Shelley Road East, Boscombe, Bournemouth, was sentenced to 20 months suspended for two years.

Roy Harmer, 46, of Chine Road, Bournemouth; Neil Pinchbeck, 43, of Pearce Road, Poole; Thomas Stewart, 40, of Carpenter Close, Peterborough; Ricky Platt, 49, of Westby Road, Boscombe, Dorset, were all sentenced to 20 months in jail.