Massive UK Cocaine Scheme Uncovered: Amazon Returns Facility Involved

Workers in warehouse sorting packages on conveyor.

An elaborate £140 million cocaine smuggling operation that exploited a faux Amazon returns facility has been dismantled by the UK authorities.

At a Glance

Merseyside gang jailed for £140 million cocaine import plan using a fake company.
Pretended to manage Amazon and Argos returns to mask drug importation.
Key figures, Schofield, Martland, and Mockett, sentenced to a total of 54 years.
National Crime Agency emphasizes the importance of inter-agency cooperation to combat drug smuggling.

Merseyside Gang Operation Exposed

Authorities arrested members of a Merseyside gang for planning to smuggle cocaine worth £140 million into the UK. This operation utilized a fictional company designed to simulate returns handling for retail giants Amazon and Argos. The National Crime Agency (NCA), collaborating with Border Force, intercepted the drugs in August 2022 at a Suffolk port.

The gang ingeniously rented a storage unit, presenting it as a site for house clearance items and returned goods. This guise provided a front for their illicit activities. The operation’s leadership included Darryn Schofield, 45, alongside accomplices Stephen Martland, 70, and Paul Mockett, 50. All three were apprehended in November 2023 after a thorough investigation by the NCA.

Head of smuggling gang who brought hundreds of people into the UK jailed – but remains at largehttps://t.co/wuKCTsNKNR pic.twitter.com/MwF3SVp1TB

— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) September 20, 2024

Sentencing and Confessions

Schofield accepted charges of conspiring to import cocaine, revealing his role in the importation of 1.3 tons of the drug. The Liverpool Crown Court sentenced him to 20 years. Mockett also confessed, receiving a prison term of 13 years and six months. Conversely, Martland faced trial and was convicted, resulting in a 21-year sentence.

“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,” according to a statement from the NCA.

Beyond the initial venture, Schofield maintained a second site for drug adulteration and mixing, while Mockett registered another company to legally purchase chemicals for modifying cocaine. These measures illustrate the operation’s depth and complexity.

"Your business model might well have been taken from Amazon,” said the judge who locked up the gang https://t.co/8H6NxIZhHM

— Andrew Bardsley (@ABardsleyMEN) December 2, 2024

Commitment to Fighting Drug Crime

The NCA reaffirmed its dedication to combating drug-related offenses. Jon Sayers, NCA branch commander, underscored the devastating consequences of illegal drug supplies, citing the harm and violence they cause to the public. Sayers expressed the agency’s resolve to work with Border Force and other partners to disrupt the supply chain of illicit drugs.

Sayers said, “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.”

The conclusion of this case highlights the joint commitment of law enforcement to uphold justice and public safety, driving home the need for continued vigilance against organized crime.