Eighteen members of an international drug network have been jailed for their roles in Britain’s largest-ever detected drug-smuggling conspiracy, following two extensive trials, including the longest criminal trial in England and Wales’ history.
The gang smuggled over 50 tonnes of heroin, cocaine, and cannabis between 2015 and 2018, valued at billions of pounds, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Their operations spanned the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands, using encrypted communications and hiding drugs in shipments of pungent foods like onions, garlic, and ginger.
The network rented warehouses in northern England to store the drugs and operated with extraordinary sophistication, faking documents, altering identities, and acquiring businesses to mask their imports.
The case required two trials; the first spanned a record 23 months, while the second lasted nine months. A Manchester Crown Court judge lifted reporting restrictions on Monday, allowing details to emerge.
Paul Green, 59, the ringleader, received a 32-year sentence for his central role and fraud charges. Two other members, extradited from the Netherlands, were jailed for 18 and 20 years, respectively.
Joint UK-Dutch operations intercepted 450 kilogrammes of heroin and cocaine and two tonnes of cannabis at ports in the UK and Netherlands. The gang’s vast operation facilitated drug distribution across the country, with consequences described as “incalculable” by Judge Paul Lawton.
