Members of a Merseyside gang in England have been arrested and jailed after planning to import £140 million in cocaine into the UK. They plotted to use a fake company and property claiming to store returned items from and facilitate such returns for Amazon and Argos.
According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), Darryn Schofield, 45, Stephen Martland, 70, and Paul Mockett, 50, were attempting to “mask the arrival of the Class A drugs which had a street value of £140m.” However, Border Force officers intercepted the drugs—which the group intended to import from Africa to the UK—in August of 2022.
From there began a lengthy investigation, which led to the arrest of the three men in November of 2023. During that time, officials also discovered that Schofield used another property “to adulterate and mix drugs,” and Mockett set up another fake company “to purchase chemicals for the adulteration of cocaine.”
Now, “Schofield admitted importing the 1.3 tonnes and today, at Liverpool Crown Court, was sentenced,” the NCA wrote in a press release last week. “Mockett also admitted the same count and was jailed for 13 years six months. Martland was convicted at trial of the same offense and was sentenced to 21 years.”
“The National Crime Agency works at home and abroad to protect the public from the threat of class A drugs,” said Jon Sayers, NCA branch commander. “Our partners in Border Force did a superb job to stop this huge haul of cocaine which would have been sold around the north west of England and further afield, and without [a] doubt it would have led to more crimes being committed and more devastation in our communities.”
“Illegal drugs supply has horrific consequences as we have tragically seen in recent years with entirely innocent members of the public hurt and killed in the crossfire of feuding gangs,” he added. “We will continue to do everything we can with policing partners and Border Force to prevent illegal drugs supply.”
The post Drugs Boss Said Rental Unit Was for Amazon Goods. It Was Actually for £140M in Cocaine. appeared first on VICE.
The post Drugs Boss Said Rental Unit Was for Amazon Goods. It Was Actually for £140M in Cocaine. appeared first on VICE.
