The story of the Freshwater Five is either one of the biggest drug busts in British history or one of its greatest miscarriages of justice.

In 2011 a group of fishermen living on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, were convicted of one of the largest, most audacious drug-smuggling plots in British history. They were accused of scooping up £53 mill ($69 mill) worth of pure cocaine in the dead of night from the middle of the English Channel.

The men were given combined sentences of 104 years in prison. But they maintain their innocence and are fighting to clear their names. 

Presented by Raphael Rowe, a journalist who himself spent 12 years locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, this series delves into both sides of the case, exploring each twist and turn, to piece together the real Freshwater Five story. 

This is a Message Heard production for Audible Original Podcasts.