Andrew Doran jailed for 18 years over £18m cocaine plot

Andrew Doran, 42, has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for his part in importing large quantities of cocaine into the UK. The drugs, which included shipments concealed within empty gas canisters, had an estimated street value of £18 million. Doran was extradited from Spain to face charges in relation to the offences.

Operation Venetic investigation

The investigation into Doran's activities formed part of Operation Venetic, the National Crime Agency's (NCA) response to the takedown of the encrypted communications platform EncroChat. Doran used the platform under the handle 'jurgensixnineteen' to discuss his criminal operations. NCA investigators identified Doran in Spain after he posted details of a run in Estepona on the fitness app Strava under an alias. Some of his contacts referred to him as 'BOND' or 'Dan Craig' due to a perceived resemblance to the actor.

Doran admitted his involvement in a plot to smuggle cocaine from The Netherlands into the UK. This involved hiding drugs inside gas canisters that had been cut open, filled, welded shut, and repainted. Between October 2019 and April 2020, 12 such canisters, each containing between 12 and 16 kilos of cocaine, totalling 172 kilos, were collected from locations in Kent, Northamptonshire, and Cambridgeshire. Hidden compartments in vehicles were used for the onward transport of money and drugs.

Role in drug importation and money laundering

The NCA stated that Doran played a significant role in the conspiracy, collaborating with international contacts in The Netherlands to facilitate the importations. He also instructed Kevin Taylor, 44, from Newcastle upon Tyne, whose EncroChat handle was 'loyalmover', to collect and move large sums of money from drug sales. Taylor was previously jailed for 27 years in September 2025 for his role. Doran organised the transfer of cash, often in batches of £250,000, south and abroad for further drug importations, using a token system involving banknote serial numbers to legitimise transactions.

Doran also arranged for the importation of an additional 42 kilos of cocaine planned between March and June 2020. The combined total of cocaine imported through these methods had an estimated street value of £18 million. Doran pleaded guilty to drugs importation charges at Newcastle Crown Court in December last year and received his sentence at the same court on 28 August.

NCA statement

Gavin Heckles, NCA branch commander, said: "Andrew Doran had a central role in this plot, telling criminal associates at home and overseas how the drugs should be transported and distributed once in the UK. His extradition shows that criminals living in Spain are not beyond our reach, and we will never relent in securing justice. Class A drugs like cocaine cause huge amounts of harm to communities across the UK, and create violence and exploitation at every level. We will continue to work with partners at home and abroad to pursue the criminal networks behind this trade and protect the public."