Five men deny £160m drug smuggling charges after cocaine seized on luxury yacht

Five men have denied drug trafficking offences after more than two tons of cocaine worth an estimated £160m was seized on board a luxury yacht.

Nicaraguan nationals Billy Downs, 49, Denson White-Morales, 34, Edwin Taylor-Morgan, 40, Brynie Sjogreen, 38, and Ryan Taylor, 42, each pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing at Plymouth Crown Court.

They are accused of being knowingly concerned in the supply or concealing of a class A drug, namely cocaine, on the yacht Kahu between August 21 and September 10 this year.

It is alleged that they knew or had reasonable grounds to suspect that the drugs were intended to be imported or had been exported in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

A sixth defendant, Andrew Cole, 32, from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, did not enter a plea.

They were arrested in September 80 miles off the coast of Plymouth on board the yacht in an operation led by the National Crime Agency, supported by Border Force and the Australian Federal Police.

Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard previously the cocaine had an initial street value of £160 million.

Judge Robert Linford fixed a trial date for March 9 next year with a three-week estimate and a pre-trial review will take place on February 22.

He remanded all six defendants into custody.

“The defendants will remain where they are and this case will be tried on March 9, if not before,” the judge added.