Listen: Fish tank drug smugglers busted after they're heard bragging 'we're gonna hit the jackpot'

A drug-smuggling trio was busted after they were secretly recorded bragging in a cafe about their multimillion-pound plot to hide the stash in fish tanks.

Mark Youell, 64, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, was recorded telling his partners Alfred Rumbold, 65, from Orpington, Kent, and 73-year-old Brian Wright: "We're gonna hit the jackpot."

A National Crime Agency (NCA) listening device also overheard Youell telling his associates they were going to make "f****** mega dough".

Investigators uncovered a massive haul of cocaine, MDMA and heroin worth an estimated street value of £4.5million.

The three men were today convicted of using their removal firm as a front for an international drug smuggling conspiracy.

• Listen to the trio secretly recorded as they plot in a cafe:

All three have been found guilty of conspiring to import class A drugs following a trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

The NCA used covert listening devices to capture the men plotting to import 55kg of class A drugs as part of the international 'Encrochat' sting targeting encrypted criminal communication networks.

An NCA spokesman said: "During the period of the conspiracy, the trio had a series of clandestine meetings with a Merseyside-based organised crime group who wanted to import class A drugs utilising Rolls Royce-driving Wright's legitimate removals company.

"The previous day Wright had returned from conducting a 'dummy run', taking his lorry out to the Netherlands. He made a series of notes around border checks and security on his phone as he returned.

"The following week Wright made the run for real, collecting the drugs, which had been sealed inside fish tanks."

"However, as part of a joint operation involving the NCA and Dutch law enforcement, the truck was raided just outside Utrecht. Wright, who was sleeping inside, was arrested.

"The drugs were seized from their hiding place, with Dutch police recovering 20.5 kilos of heroin, 32 kilos of cocaine and three kilos of MDMA.

"At the same time NCA officers moved in on Youell and Rumbold, arresting them at their home addresses. Phones seized included a number of Encrochat and Sky ECC encrypted devices."

The NCA added that Encrochat messages attributed to Rumbold showed that he was discussing with numerous criminals the potential to move drugs across Europe using Wright’s firm.

Both Youell and Rumbold denied drug importation charges, claiming they had only been seeking to smuggle alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco and cannabis.

Wright, following his extradition from the Netherlands, denied any knowledge of the drugs, claiming he was just transporting furniture.

However all three were convicted on Friday, and will be sentenced later this month.

The investigation was launched by the NCA as part of the international Operation Venetic operation to take down the platform.