The final member of the trio to be sentenced over an £80 million cocaine smuggling conspiracy has been jailed, with Craig Le-Mare sentenced to 20 years at the Old Bailey. The plot was uncovered when a lorry driver stopped for a cup of tea in Northampton and discovered his container had been broken into.
Le-Mare, 36, from Watford, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Judge Richard Marks KC told him he played a significant role in the multimillion-pound operation, dismissing as 'entirely fanciful' his claim of being paid only £6,000.
The cocaine, 780kg in 18 holdalls with a street value of more than £80m, had been hidden inside a container supposed to hold 29 pallets of steel furniture parts. It had been sealed before leaving Mexico in September 2021 and arrived at the Port of Felixstowe on 12 November.
The gang tracked the lorry after it left a haulage yard, trailing it 125 miles to Northampton. When the driver stopped for tea at a layby on Lilliput Road on 26 November, witnesses saw a grey Transit van pull up and men remove packages from the lorry. Officers from Northamptonshire Police located the van within two hours, finding 11 holdalls of cocaine. Seven more holdalls were left inside the lorry.
Le-Mare fled the UK after the seizure but was arrested at Gatwick Airport in January 2025.
Kelly Robertson, 46, of Watford, and Michael Weston, 57, of no fixed abode, both admitted conspiracy and were jailed in 2024 and 2026 for 15 years and 12 years and nine months respectively.
Detective Inspector Dean Grafton, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, said the sentences proved the force’s determination to pursue organised crime groups and put dangerous criminals in prison. Assistant Chief Constable Emma James of Northamptonshire Police said the investigation highlighted the value of effective collaboration between policing partners.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case demonstrates how a routine stop by a lorry driver can lead to the discovery of a major organised crime operation.
- The conviction of the final defendant brings closure to a large-scale drugs investigation that prevented £80m worth of cocaine from reaching UK communities.
- The sentences handed down reflect the severity of the crime and may deter similar smuggling attempts.
Background
In November 2021, an HGV driver transporting a container from Mexico stopped for a cup of tea at a layby in Northampton. He discovered his container had been broken into, leading police to find 780kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of over £80 million. The container had been sealed before leaving Mexico and arrived at Felixstowe port on 12 November, where the gang's members were already in place. They trailed the lorry 125 miles across England before attempting the heist. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police, lasting two years, uncovered the roles of Craig Le-Mare, Kelly Robertson and Michael Weston. Robertson pleaded guilty in March 2024 and was sentenced in November 2024; Weston pleaded guilty and was sentenced in May 2026; Le-Mare fled the UK but was arrested at Gatwick in January 2025 and convicted after a trial in October 2026.
Key Perspectives
Detective Inspector Dean Grafton (Met Police): said the sentences prove 'our relentless determination to pursue organised crime groups and put dangerous criminals in prison'.
Assistant Chief Constable Emma James (Northamptonshire Police): said the investigation highlights 'the value of effective collaboration between policing partners'.
Judge Richard Marks KC: told Le-Mare he played a significant role, dismissing his claim of receiving £6,000 as 'entirely fanciful'.
What to Watch
- All three members of the smuggling gang are now in prison following Le-Mare's sentencing, concluding a case that began with a lorry driver's tea stop in 2021.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 11 supported.
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- SupportedThe final member of the cocaine-smuggling trio was jailed for 20 years.The Standard London: “Craig Le-Mare, 36, of no fixed abode, was convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine on Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at the Old Bailey. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday, 4 November.”
- SupportedThe trio’s sentences total more than 47 years.The Standard London: “Three people have been sentenced to a total of more than 47 years in prison”
- SupportedThe plot was uncovered when the lorry driver stopped for tea and noticed the break-in.BBC London: “Their plans were foiled when the lorry driver noticed the break-in as he stopped for a cuppa at a burger van on the edge of Northampton in November 2021.”
- Reports differThe cocaine weighed 780kg.BBC London: “The hoard weighed 780kg (120st) in total - an estimated street value of more than £80m.”
- SupportedThe cocaine had a street value of more than £80m.BBC London: “The hoard weighed 780kg (120st) in total - an estimated street value of more than £80m.”
- SupportedThe haul was found in 18 holdalls.BBC London: “recovering 11 holdalls containing drugs. Meanwhile, inside the lorry, officers found the gang had left behind seven holdalls containing cocaine.”
- SupportedLe-Mare was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years at the Old Bailey.BBC London: “The 36-year-old, of no fixed address, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at the Old Bailey on Wednesday and was sentenced to 20 years in jail.”
- SupportedJudge Richard Marks KC called Le-Mare’s claim that he was paid only £6,000 “entirely fanciful”.BBC London: “The idea that he was only paid £6,000 for taking part was "entirely fanciful", the judge said.”
- SupportedLe-Mare was arrested at Gatwick Airport in January 2025.The Independent UK: “Craig Le-Mare, who left the UK shortly after the drugs were seized, was arrested at Gatwick Airport on 25 January 2025.”
- SupportedKelly Robertson was jailed for 15 years in 2024.BBC London: “Robertson was sentenced to 15 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court in November 2024”
- SupportedMichael Weston was jailed for 12 years and nine months in 2026.The Standard London: “He was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison on Friday, 22 May 2026.”
- SupportedDean Grafton said the sentences proved the Met’s determination to pursue organised crime groups and imprison dangerous criminals.The Standard London: ““These sentences prove our relentless determination to pursue organised crime groups and put dangerous criminals in prison.””