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Jersey men jailed for 17 years for Caribbean drug smuggle

Two men from Jersey have been jailed for a total of 17 years after being caught trying to smuggle £40m worth of cocaine into the UK.

David Romano, 57, and Michael Ashford, 42, were arrested after their yacht was seized off the Caribbean island of Martinique.

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Watch: Jail for Jersey men who tried to smuggle £40m worth of cocaine

Drug traffickers from Jersey have been jailed by Carribean authorities after attempting to bring £40m worth of cocaine into Britain. 57-year-old David Romano and 43-year-old Michael Ashford, were caught trying to smuggle the class A drug from the Caribbean island of Martinique last November.

Together they will serve a total of 17 years in prison. Jessica Savage reports.

Seized drugs would have been sold in London

A spokesman for the National Crime Agency (NCA) says the drugs two Jersey men were attempting to smuggle into the UK, would have been sold on the streets of London.

The men have been jailed for 17 years in total for trying to get the £40m worth of cocaine across the Atlantic.

Had we not intervened these drugs would have ended up being sold on the streets of London.

Drug trafficking is an international issue so our response has to be the same, co-operating with law enforcement colleagues across the globe.

That co-operation led to this shipment being taken out before it could reach Britain and it shows how our international work has a direct impact on protecting communities here in the UK.

– Hank Cole, NCA Head of International Operations
Credit: National Crime Agency

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Watch: Moment drug smuggling yacht is searched

Two men from Jersey have been jailed for a total of 17 years after being caught trying to smuggle £40m worth of cocaine into the UK.

Their yacht was boarded by French Customs officers off the Caribbean island of Martinique on November 3rd as it began its trans-Atlantic crossing.

The interception was prompted by a National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police Service investigation into a London-based organised crime group believed to be involved in the large scale importation of drugs to the UK.

Jersey men jailed for 17 years for Caribbean drug smuggle

Two men from Jersey have been jailed for a total of 17 years after being caught trying to smuggle £40m worth of cocaine into the UK.

David Romano, 57, and Michael Ashford, 42, were arrested after their yacht was seized off the Caribbean island of Martinique.

Around 250 kilos of the drug were found.

Romano was sentenced to ten years in prison, whilst Ashford was served seven.

Credit: David Romano
Credit: Michael Ashford

Two men in court for cocaine seizure

Credit: French Customs

Two men from Jersey have appeared in court in the Caribbean island of Martinique following the seizure of forty million pounds worth of cocaine on a yacht.

A new video shows the events before and after the pair were arrested when French customs boarded the UK-registered vessel as it set sail for the UK.

Around 250 kilos of the drug were found.

The men due back in court next month.

Watch: Video shows the moment French Customs boarded and searched the yacht.

Credit: French Customs
Credit: French Customs

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