Irish boat skipper convicted over 80m cocaine cargo
The Irish skipper of a fishing boat has been convicted of trying to smuggle around a tonne of cocaine into Britain.
The drugs haul – the biggest seizure of cocaine in Britain in 2016 – had a potential value of nearly £84 million.
Michael McDermott, 68, from Co. Waterford, was found guilty by a jury at Bristol Crown Court today following a one week trial.
National Crime Agency and Border Force officers arrested McDermott on August 18, 2016 alongside shipmates David Pleasants, 57 of Peppercorn Walk, Grimsby, and Gerald Van de Kook, 27 of Amersfoort, Netherlands.
Both Pleasants and Gerald Van de Kooij admitted drug importation offences, but McDermott had denied the charge, claiming he knew there were drugs on board but had been forced into shipping them.
Following McDermott’s conviction today all three men will now be sentenced on April 6.
At: http://irishpost.co.uk/irish-boat-skipper-convicted-over-80m-cocaine-cargo/
