Police Want Public To Spot Gangs Using 'Mother Ships' For Coastal Drug Drops

Law enforcement agencies have urged people in coastal communities to help them catch drug gangs that are using ever more imaginative methods to bring vast quantities of cocaine into Britain.

- Steven Morris

They say gangs currently favour "at-sea drop-offs" (Asdos), in which drugs are released into the water from "mother ships" for smaller vessels to pick up and bring into Britain via small coves and harbours.

But Border Force maritime officials warn that gangs may soon turn to more sophisticated techniques, such as the use of underwater drones, nicknamed narco submarines, to evade detection.

Last week, members of a gang involved in an attempt to smuggle £18m of cocaine into Britain using the Asdo method were sentenced at Truro crown court in Cornwall for conspiracy to import class A drugs.

Three of the men were caught after their boat was chased for almost 30 miles by Border Force officers, while another four were arrested after an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Charlie Eastaugh, the director of Border Force maritime command, said Asdos appeared to be the preferred method of drug smugglers at the moment. "It's a persistent and continuing threat," he said.