Dramatic moment drug smugglers jump from boat in failed escape attempt after being caught by officers with £37m worth of cocaine

SHOCKING footage shows the moment two drug smugglers jump from a boat after being caught with £37million worth of cocaine.

Bruce Knowles, 55, and Ferhat Gumrukguoglu, 31, were intercepted by Border Force near East Benacre Broads in Suffolk.

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The pair had hidden 350kg of cocaine in the hull of their inflatable boat. The dramatic event was captured on camera.

Footage released by the National Crime Agency (NCA) shows officers intercepting the boat after it refused to stop.

They initially stopped as the Border Force cutter approached, but Knowles restarted the inflatable boat’s engines and attempted to escape.

Officers were stunned when Gumrukguoglu jumped from the boat and swam to shore in a brazen attempt to escape.

The boat ran aground on the beach and officers arrived to arrest Knowles after he also jumped overboard during the June 24 incident.

Officers from Norfolk and Suffolk Police pursued Gumrukguoglu after he fled from the beach.

But the Dutchman was arrested later that day in Wrentham, Norfolk.

NCA officers towed the boat to a harbour in Lowestoft, where it was thoroughly searched.

Officers subsequently found the Class A drugs haul, worth £39 million, under a tarpaulin.

Investigators believe Knowles, from Dereham, and Gumrukguoglu, from the Netherlands, travelled to French waters to collect the drugs from a larger vessel, then return them to the UK.

Both men were questioned and made no comment, but were charged with importing a prohibited drug.

Knowles, who appeared in court via video link, and Gumrukguoglu will remain in custody until a plea hearing on September 17.

The date of the verdict will be determined at a hearing scheduled for November 1.

They pleaded guilty at Ipswich District Court on Tuesday and now face a prison sentence.

Lydia Bloomfield, NCA Branch Commander, said: “Knowles and Gumrukguoglu knew they were losing a huge quantity of drugs when they were intercepted at sea by our Border Force colleagues.

“Both worked for a wider organised crime organisation, which will now feel the consequences of such a loss.”

Sally Hawkyard, deputy director of Border Force, said: “Our Border Force officers played a vital role in tracking and seizing millions of pounds worth of cocaine, enabling these two men to be brought to justice.

“We remain committed to preventing illegal drugs from entering the country, which destroy lives and fuel organised crime groups.

“Border security will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of the public and our borders.”

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