Reported by
Nneoma Omeje
Two men, Bruce Knowles, 55, and Ferhat Gumrukcuoglu, 31, have been convicted of attempting to smuggle £39 million (US$51 million) worth of cocaine into the UK, hidden in the hull of a boat off the Suffolk coast.
The pair were intercepted in late June by Border Force officers near East Benacre Broads in Suffolk, as they tried to flee from a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) that was loaded with drugs. When authorities closed in, Gumrukcuoglu jumped into the water, swimming towards the shore, while Knowles attempted to restart the boat’s engines in a last-ditch escape effort. However, the boat soon ran aground, forcing Knowles to dive into the sea. Both men were apprehended shortly thereafter.
Norfolk and Suffolk Police quickly tracked down Gumrukcuoglu, who had fled the beach, and captured him later that same day in Wrentham, Norfolk. Meanwhile, the boat was towed to Lowestoft, where NCA officers uncovered the cocaine stash worth £51 million, concealed beneath tarpaulin.
Investigators believe the men had traveled to French waters to rendezvous with a larger vessel before attempting to smuggle the drugs into the UK. Despite remaining silent during interviews, both men were charged with importing a controlled drug and pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court.
Lydia Bloomfield, the National Crime Agency’s branch commander, expressed concerns that Knowles and Gumrukcuoglu were linked to a larger organized crime syndicate. “Thanks to the efforts of our Border Force and Joint Maritime Security Centre partners, a significant amount of class A drugs has been removed from the criminal marketplace, preventing further exploitation and criminality,” she said.
The conviction of Knowles and Gumrukcuoglu underscores the continued vigilance of UK border security in combating drug smuggling operations, with both men now facing substantial prison sentences.