In 2004, Richard Davison, the managing director of Crompton Marine, and his girlfriend, Ellen George, were arrested after Spanish authorities conducting anti-drug smuggling operations seized a number of boats sold by their company and reported them to British customs officials. The two were suspected of using Crompton Marine as a front for supplying high-speed inflatable boats to illegal drug merchants, advertising them as “high-speed, uncatchable craft that have a low radar signature.”
After the couple’s arrest, a third party, Ian Rush, allegedly carried on their underground boat trade under the name Nautexco Marine and was also arrested. Evidence presented during Rush’s 2007 trial indicated that Davison and George (and later, Rush) were making secret deals for boats like the one pictured above: craft between 30 ft. and 60 ft. long, costing as much as £350,000 ($680,000 US), and featuring up to eight 250-horsepower engines (with a total fuel storage capacity of 15,000 litres) that enabled them to outrun pursuers at speeds up 60 knots (70 mph). The craft were designed with low profiles (to avoid radar detection) and were painted grey or black to make them difficult to spot on the water. Crompton (and Nautexco) Marine’s primary customers were said to be smugglers who used the craft for transporting drugs and other contraband between north Africa and southern Spain.
Burning 900 liters/hour (238 GPH) at full power… plus the noise….
- Link to story at the Daily Mail
- Compton Marine gallery page, if you want to shop for one of these obscenities
Personally i think he innocent neil davison this case is gone on long enough should be just ended now…. he losts alot of stuff, houses in england the company and the boats.. shouldnt deserve it all
where can i get one of those?? when do they auction that off??
holy ! thats a lot of motors
Synchronizing the carbs would be a real pain