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Date Published: 15/12/2025

Brit arrested in Benidorm over life sentence for drug trafficking

Expat drug boss from massive cocaine ring faces UK extradition to UK

A British man living in Benidorm has been arrested by Spain's Policía Nacional on an international warrant for a life sentence back home over serious drug and weapons crimes. The 35-year-old, part of a gang busted in Operation Venetic, had been on the run since December 2021, with Interpol tipping off Spanish officers that he might be hiding out in Alicante province.

His crimes date back to 2020 in Newcastle, where he played a leading role in a network smuggling huge cocaine hauls into north east England. Under the EncroChat handle "jurgensixnineteen", he directed underlings to buy drugs in bulk, handled the cash counting and storage, and oversaw deliveries. One big score involved 34 kilos of cocaine from the Netherlands, plus cannabis production and holding a semi-automatic pistol found at a Newcastle address.

Details from his UK court appearance paint a bigger picture. Using modified gas canisters cut open, packed with cocaine, welded shut and repainted, the gang moved 172 kilos across 12 loads between October 2019 and April 2020. Vehicles picked them up in places like Chatham, Corby and Peterborough, with hidden compartments shuttling drugs and cash south or abroad.

He coordinated with Dutch contacts, worked hand-in-glove with Kevin Taylor (jailed for 27 years in September), and managed £250,000 cash batches via couriers. Another 42 kilos were lined up for March to June 2020.

On December 12, at Newcastle Crown Court, he admitted the importation charges and remains in custody until sentencing on February 27, 2026.

The NCA's Martin Clarke didn't mince words: "Andrew Doran was a key player in this conspiracy, instructing criminal contacts at home and abroad on how the cocaine should be moved and what to do with it when it reached the UK."

He added that such criminals "have no concern for the immense harm that class A drugs like cocaine can cause to communities."

Image: National Crime Agency

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