Two alleged ringleaders of a British crime group have been handed decades-long prison terms. Authorities uncovered the conspiracy in May 2022, when investigators seized 408 kilograms of cannabis hidden inside a lathe machine. Other members of the network were given terms ranging from six to 22 years, all after pleading guilty. Had the cocaine plan succeeded, it would have been “incredibly lucrativ,” the National Crime Agency said in a statement. The group shifted to other methods, hiding cocaine in container loads of fruit and vegetables.
Source: OCCRP, 2025-09-13; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/uk-jails-suspected-ringleaders-in-cocaine-yacht-and-cannabis-smuggling-plot