Drug smugglers jailed for 167 years

Nine smugglers were yesterday sentenced to jail terms totalling 167 years for their parts in an international drugs ring aimed at flooding Britain with top-quality Colombian cocaine.

The men were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court after 18 months of trials arising from Operation Stealer, an undercover Customs and Excise coup, which smashed the ring and seized pounds 65m worth of illegal drugs. The longest sentences of 25 years each were handed out to Brian Doran, 52, and Kenneth Togher, 33, both from Scotland, who masterminded the pounds 34m cocaine cargo of the yacht Frugal seized in a Customs swoop at Pevensey Bay, East Sussex, on 10 January 1995.

Sentences of 18 years each were imposed on the yacht's skipper Robin Sargent, 54, Terence Reeves, 49, and George Caccavale, 56, who helped arrange the journey. Anthony White, 54, and John Short, 58, both from London, received 11-and-a-half and 9-and-a-half years respectively for their part in a separate drugs run at Dover. Dermot Trainer, 44, a van driver, and his passenger Stephen McKeown, 36, were each jailed for eight years for their part in the Dover run.