Berkshire man sentenced for £3.75m drugs and firearms operation after fleeing to Spain
Craig Bennett and his accomplices have been handed 28 years
A man from Berkshire, who fled to Spain, has been sentenced for orchestrating a £3.75 million drugs and firearms operation.
Craig Bennett, 41, was arrested in Barcelona in July 2025 during a Policía Nacional operation supported by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The investigation into Bennett began after the NCA identified him as a user of Encrochat, an encrypted communications platform infiltrated by law enforcement in 2020.
Messages intercepted between March and June 2020 revealed Bennett's role in supplying Class A and B drugs, firearms, and money laundering.
He managed cocaine, ketamine, cannabis, and hash supplies, coordinating handovers and receiving profits from sales.
Using Encrochat, Bennett directed couriers Gerald Tohill, from Berkshire, and Lucien Robinson, from Wokingham, to manage illicit cash and drug distribution.
Robinson’s father, Peter Robinson, also from Berkshire, aided the operation by hiding cash.
Bennett was extradited to the UK in August 2025, facing charges alongside his associates.
At Reading Crown Court, Bennett and Peter and Lucien Robinson pleaded guilty, while Tohill was convicted at trial.
They collectively received 28 years in prison.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer John Turner emphasised Bennett's pivotal role in the conspiracy and reiterated the effectiveness of law enforcement in intercepting criminals using Encrochat.