Two men have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in one of the United Kingdom’s largest drug seizures, in a case that highlights the scale and danger of international drug trafficking.
Mark Moran, 22, and Daniel Livingstone, 25, were convicted in Hull Crown Court after being caught with more than half a tonne of cocaine, worth over £42 million, that had been smuggled onto the UK’s East Yorkshire coast.
The drugs, which were of exceptionally high purity, were discovered in the back of a hire van in May 2024 after the two men were intercepted by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in a pub car park in Easington.
The narcotics had been transported by an inflatable boat, which the defendants had used to pick up the consignment from the North Sea.
Prosecutors revealed that the cocaine, with a purity level of 86-89%, was among the largest drug seizures in the UK.
Angus MacDonald, the prosecuting attorney, emphasized the scale of the operation, describing it as one of the most significant drug smuggling efforts the country had seen.
The court heard that Moran and Livingstone were part of a wider criminal network that had orchestrated the operation, which prosecutors said was likely controlled by a South American cartel.
The defendants had landed the drugs at a caravan site before driving to a nearby pub where they were arrested. In the process, they were unaware that law enforcement officers were closing in on them.
Moran, from Glenfyne Terrace in Ardrishaig, Scotland, was found guilty of conspiracy to import cocaine.
His defense lawyer, Derek Duffy, argued that his client played a minor role, acting solely to transport the drugs from the boat to shore. Moran was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his part in the operation.
Livingstone, from Calton Avenue in Campbeltown, Scotland, pleaded guilty to the same charge. His lawyer, Michael Forest, explained that Livingstone had been struggling with financial difficulties and had been offered £40,000 to help transport the drugs.
The promise of easy money, Forest said, led Livingstone down a dangerous path. He was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison.
In his ruling, Judge Mark Bury expressed confusion about how two men with no prior criminal history from rural Scotland had become involved in such a large-scale drug trafficking operation.
“It’s puzzling to try and work out how you became involved,” the judge said during sentencing.
The case is a major success for the National Crime Agency, which worked closely with Humberside Police and Border Force to bring the criminals to justice.
Alan French from the NCA stated that the operation had successfully disrupted a significant drug trafficking group, preventing millions of pounds in profits from reaching criminal hands.
A third defendant, Colombian national Didier Tordecilla Reyes, 39, who was involved in the smuggling operation, pleaded guilty to importing cocaine and is set to be sentenced at a later date.
Another defendant, Anthony McAllister, 33, of Taynuilt, Scotland, was found not guilty of all charges. The seizure of over 500 kilograms of cocaine is a significant blow to organized crime in the UK, highlighting the ongoing battle against international drug smuggling.
