Colin Benson is in prison after being sentenced to 20 years and six months for his role in a major drug trafficking operation that saw 322 kilograms of cocaine worth £26.5 million at street value smuggled into the United Kingdom via a sea drop-off off the Somerset coast.
Who Is Colin Benson?
Colin Benson is a 60-year-old man from Longton, Preston, Lancashire. He was not previously known as a major criminal figure, but evidence presented at trial demonstrated that he played a significant logistical and organisational role in one of the largest cocaine importation operations investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the south west of England in recent years. Benson’s co-defendant Joshua Rose, also from Longton and aged 38, was linked to him through a series of financial transactions that investigators used to build their case.
The Somerset Cocaine Operation
The operation centred on an elaborate at-sea drug drop-off scheme. On 3 July 2025, a Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat — known as the “Guzzla” — was despatched from Watchet Marina in Somerset with the purpose of collecting 322 individual one-kilogram packages of cocaine that had been dropped at sea. The cocaine was of exceptionally high purity, with testing showing it to be 89% pure, making it worth an estimated £26.5 million at street level once cut and distributed across the supply chain.
The boat was crewed by Craig Nuttall, Anestis Tsepa, and Melios Delvina, who physically retrieved the drugs from the sea. In the early hours of 31 July 2025, National Crime Agency officers moved in, arresting all four men at Watchet Marina on suspicion of the importation of Class A drugs. Benson and Rose had been present on the shore but fled the scene immediately upon realising that arrests were being made.
How Colin Benson Was Caught
Despite initially evading arrest, Benson was undone by a trail of digital and vehicle evidence. Investigators established that he had driven from Preston to Watchet Marina on four separate occasions in the days immediately prior to the drugs collection. His red Range Rover was captured on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras during each of these reconnaissance trips to the south west of England.
Financial investigators also uncovered a company connected to Joshua Rose that had made 24 separate payments to Benson across the twelve-month period surrounding the importation. This financial link helped the prosecution establish that the two men were working together as part of the broader organised crime group responsible for coordinating the operation on land. The NCA built a comprehensive picture of Benson’s involvement, eventually leading to charges being brought against him.
The Trial and Verdict
Colin Benson stood trial at North Somerset Crown Court, where the prosecution laid out evidence of his repeated visits to the marina, his ANPR footprint, and the financial connections to his co-defendant. Following a two-week trial, a jury convicted Benson on 22 April 2026 of being knowingly concerned in the importation of cocaine.
The following day, on 23 April 2026, Benson was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison. The length of the sentence reflects the seriousness with which the courts treat large-scale Class A drug importation, particularly when the offender played a supervisory or coordinative role rather than simply acting as a courier. Joshua Rose, who had previously pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime group, was due to be sentenced at a later date.
If you have a loved one serving a sentence for drug-related offences and want to send money to a prisoner or arrange a prison visit, guidance is available on the prisonguide.co.uk website.
Other Members of the Gang
Benson’s sentencing followed earlier proceedings against the men who had physically collected the drugs at sea. Craig Nuttall, 51, Anestis Tsepa, 25, and Melios Delvina, 39 — the three men on board the Guzzla when it was intercepted — were sentenced in November 2025 following their own guilty pleas or convictions. The NCA investigation into the network continued, with further arrests and charges brought against additional individuals as the full extent of the supply chain was mapped out.
The case illustrates how major organised crime groups operate using individuals across multiple regions, with different people responsible for the logistics, the physical collection, the coordination on shore, and the onward distribution of narcotics. Understanding the parole and release process for those serving lengthy sentences is something many families affected by such cases find useful. For anyone needing to book a prison visit, full guidance is available on this site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Colin Benson in prison?
Colin Benson is in prison because he was convicted of being knowingly concerned in the importation of 322 kilograms of cocaine worth £26.5 million at street value into the United Kingdom via an at-sea drop-off operation off the Somerset coast in July 2025.
How long is Colin Benson’s prison sentence?
Colin Benson was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison at North Somerset Crown Court on 23 April 2026.
What was Benson’s role in the cocaine operation?
Benson played a logistical and supervisory role, visiting Watchet Marina in Somerset on four separate occasions prior to the drug collection to conduct reconnaissance. He was connected financially to his co-defendant Joshua Rose, and both men were present on shore on the night of the interception before fleeing when National Crime Agency officers made arrests.
Who else was involved in the Somerset cocaine operation?
Others involved included Joshua Rose, who pleaded guilty and was awaiting sentencing, and Craig Nuttall, Anestis Tsepa, and Melios Delvina, who were on board the boat that physically collected the drugs and were sentenced in November 2025.
Which agency investigated the case?
The investigation was led by the National Crime Agency, which is the UK body responsible for tackling serious and organised crime including large-scale drug trafficking operations.
