Five drug smugglers have been jailed after nearly half a tonne of cocaine, worth £34m, was seized during an at-sea smuggling attempt linked to Eastbourne Marina. National Crime Agency investigators arrested the men on 8 June as they pulled 425kg of cocaine off the New Horizon fishing vessel and prepared to move it towards shore. The NCA had spent months watching the organised crime group behind the operation. Officers struck when the drugs were hauled off the vessel and taken in waterproof bags. Prosecutors said the cocaine, described as Class A, had been packaged for smuggling with GPS trackers fitted to it. The drugs were dropped overboard from another vessel so the crew could collect them, bring them to shore, and then move the supply to other crime groups. Joint organisers Alan Colquhoun, 49, and William Donohoe, 38, led the conspiracy. Colquhoun is from Oberon, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, and Donohoe is from Sycamore Drive, Craigneuk, Airdrie. The court heard they carried out reconnaissance along the south coast, plotted where to bring the cocaine ashore, and hired a van in Scotland which they used under the cover of moving pub stock before driving it south. Ian Smith, 50, the New Horizon skipper and a fisherman from Eastbourne, helped sail out to find the haul. Jacob Cronin, 32, from Elgar Way, Eastbourne, was also on board, along with Daniel Ruffell, 36, from Humber Way, Slough. Donohoe stayed on dry land and was arrested at a petrol station. At Hove Crown Court on Friday 23 October, Colquhoun and Donohoe were sentenced to 16 years in prison each, reduced from 24 years for early guilty pleas. Smith received 12 years, reduced from 18. Ruffell was given eight years, reduced from 12, and Cronin was sentenced to six years and eight months, reduced from 10. The investigation involved expert National Deep Rummage Team officers from Border Security Command Maritime, with support from Maritime, Aviation and Military Intervention Cell and police forces including Sussex Police and Police Scotland. The case is now concluded for the five sentenced men, after their guilty pleas secured convictions.