A man who was extradited to the UK to face drugs charges has been jailed for his part in the importation of large amounts of cocaine including shipments hidden in empty gas cannisters.

Andrew Doran, 42, originally from the Kirkby area of Merseyside, had been arrested by Spanish police in southern Spain following a National Crime Agency appeal earlier this year.

He was returned to the UK in October last year by specialist National Extradition Unit officers from the NCA's Joint International Crime Centre.

Doran used the encrypted communications platform EncroChat to discuss his offending, under the handle of "jurgensixnineteen".

NCA investigators established he was in Spain after he posted the route of a jog in Estepona on Strava under an alias. Some of his contacts also saved "jurgensixnineteen" under the nicknames of 'BOND' and 'Dan Craig' due to the perceived resemblance between Doran and the actor, giving officers an idea of his appearance.

Doran admitted his role in a plot to smuggle cocaine from The Netherlands into the UK hidden in gas canisters. The containers had been cut open then welded shut and re-painted after the drugs had been placed inside.

Between October 2019 and April 2020, 12 gas bottles were collected by vehicles from locations in Chatham, Kent, Corby and Northampton, and Peterborough. Each bottle contained between 12 and 16 kilos of cocaine, which totalled 172 kilos. Hidden compartments in the vehicles were used for the onward transportation of money and drugs.

Doran played a pivotal role in the conspiracy, working closely with Kevin Taylor, 44, from Newcastle upon Tyne, whose EncroChat handle was "loyalmover". Taylor was jailed for 27 years in September 2025.

Doran liaised with international contacts, working closely with criminals in The Netherlands to facilitate the importations.

He also instructed Taylor to collect and move large sums of money from drugs sales in the North East, organising the cash's transfer south and abroad for further drugs importations using his numerous couriers and the token system. This works by using banknote serial numbers to show customers that money, which was generally moved in batches of £250,000 at a time, was for them and that the handovers were legitimate.

In one message exchange Doran confirmed to Taylor that they had had "over half a mil in the flat" in Spain that "needs to be back in UK", to which Taylor responded with a photo of what appeared to be a kilo of compressed cocaine.

Doran also arranged for the importation of 42 kilos of cocaine which was planned to be smuggled from the Netherlands between March and June 2020. This cocaine and the drugs imported in the gas cannisters had a combined estimated street value of £18 million.

The investigations formed part of Operation Venetic, the UK NCA-led law enforcement response to the takedown of the EncroChat service in June 2020.

Doran admitted drugs importation charges at Newcastle Crown Court in December last year was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment at the same court today (28 August).

NCA branch commander Gavin Heckles 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."

28 August 2026