Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Brits caught transporting £200K cocaine to UK! Country corrupt?

Brits caught transporting £200K cocaine to UK! Country corrupt?

More drug busts continue to surface in the United Kingdom (UK), yet the country has not been labelled as corrupt by the UK Press and other high-profile government officials over the drug busts.

This comes as ex-governor of the Virgin Islands (VI) Augustus J. U. Jaspert late last year, labelled the Virgin Islands (VI) as corrupt following the discovery of some $250m worth of cocaine on Tortola in early November 2020.

The label came ahead of an announcement of a Commission on Inquiry into the VI Government based on allegations of corruption, however, Mr Jasper had never publicly referred to his home country as corrupt, given its frequent high-profile drug busts.

What constitutes corruption?


According to a report from the BBC, two British men Steven Brogan, 36, and Anthony Reilly, 34, both of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, will now face jail time after they had to be rescued because they ran out of fuel on a drugs run from the Netherlands to the UK in September 2020.

The men attempted to transport $278,000 worth of cocaine from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom on jet skis, however, they ran out of fuel during their return journey and had to be saved by the British coast guard.

Ahead of the sentence, both men admitted to importing Class A drugs at Ipswich Crown Court. The Judge, Recorder Richard Christie QC, jailed Brogan for seven years and six months and Reilly; who admitted to the offence before his co-defendant, for seven years.

Cocaine flowing into the UK


Meanwhile, the UK’s love affair with cocaine was again placed in the limelight on Valentine's day February 14, 2021, when a £184 million drug haul was busted in banana imports from Colombia. In another major November 2020 bust, some 1,060 kilograms of cocaine, worth £100 million was found hidden in banana related shipments in Essex.

Following the unfounded corruption label by ex-Governor Jasper on the VI, Virgin Islanders including Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) had called the then Governor’s statement irresponsible and asked for a retraction, which he ignored.

Local Political pundits and other talk-show hosts have alleged that the UK through Ex-Governor Jaspert had embarked on an agenda to damage the reputation of the VI, thus paving the way for the Crown to launch a CoI as a starting point to intervening in the local affairs of the territory.

UK targeting pro-independent OT Leaders - Michael E. Misick


Former Premier of British OT, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Michael E. Misick in a February 15, 2021 interview said the CoI into the VI government is no surprise.

He said the British government has shown a pattern going after black OT leaders like Premier Fahie who stand up to the UK, are pro-independence and push the mantra of wanting a self-determined future for their people.

Ex-governor of the Virgin Islands (VI) Augustus J. U. Jaspert late last year, had labelled the Virgin Islands (VI) as corrupt following the discovery of some $250m worth of cocaine on Tortola in early November 2020.

The UK’s love affair with cocaine was recently placed in the limelight on Valentine's day February 14, 2021, when a £184 million drug haul was busted in banana imports from Colombia.

Former Premier of British OT, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Michael E. Misick in a February 15, 2021 interview said the CoI into the VI government is no surprise. He said the British government has shown a pattern going after black OT leaders like Premier Fahie who stand up to the UK, are pro-independence and push the mantra of wanting a self-determined future for their people.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
×