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Page 1 of 8 Smuggling in Cornwall is as rife as ever, but the nature of the contraband far deadlier. Cathrin Vaughn investigates whether Cornwall is a still a safe haven for smugglers. ' Smuggling is ingrained in Cornwall’s picturesque heritage, and reputedly runs in the blood of many a Cornishman. From old pubs to the Pipe - a chimney in Falmouth’s Customs House where contraband tobacco was burned - Cornwall’s buildings are a reminder of smuggling history. St Ives, Penryn and Polperro were among the towns and villages with a reputation for harbouring smugglers. This risky, highly profitable enterprise flourished during the 18th and early 19th centuries, as contraband tobacco, brandy, gin and tea were brought across the British Channel.  Swanpool Beach, Falmouth. Cornwall's open coastline is a haven for smugglers. Photograph by Celine Smith. Picture a sailing boat approaching the coast of Cornwall but instead of running into port, she lays offshore, just over the horizon. A small local boat – a fishing boat or a pleasure craft - makes its way out to meet her. A swift transfer of cargo from the yacht takes place, out of sight of land. The small local boat returns casually to its moorings – daytrippers or day fishermen, going about their business. The yacht sails freely into port, clean and empty of anything that could cause suspicion. This is the age-old smuggling ploy known as ‘coopering’. It is an 18th-century scene, with the sailing boat bringing brandy and French lace from the continent. Yet it is also a modern-day scene, with a fast modern yacht bearing a cargo of cocaine from the Caribbean. Coopering was the modus operandi used by Britain’s most notorious cocaine smuggler Brian Wright, convicted last year and sentenced to 30 years in jail. Wright brought cocaine into the UK over a long period and his operation was so efficient that drug dealers nicknamed him The Milkman, because he always delivered. |
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