£5 Million Cocaine Smugglers Jailed for 46 Years
Two drug kingpins have been locked up for nearly half a century after trying to sneak £5 million worth of cocaine into the UK disguised as soup and Botox cream. Tyrone Gordon, 40, from Crawley, and Ryan Steadman, 39, from Lewisham, were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court for masterminding a slick smuggling ring.
Plot to Flood UK with Drugs Exposed
Gordon, the brains behind the operation, exploited his links in Brazil to organise the shipments. Steadman acted as his right-hand man, working with crooked baggage handlers at Gatwick" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Gatwick Airport to sneak drug-filled suitcases into the country.
The court revealed how Covid-19 threw a spanner in their plans. The duo then plotted to use DHL deliveries, hiding cocaine and heroin in Botox creams meant for Boots stores or inside electronics sent to TK Maxx.
Judge Slams Smugglers for Destroying Lives
“Class A drugs destroy lives—not just those who use them but also their families and the wider community,” said Judge Christopher Grout. “You are responsible for this misery in a major way.”
Failed Flights and Seized Shipments
- Two suitcases of drugs successfully slipped through Gatwick in February 2020, with handlers ‘spiriting away’ the contraband.
- A third shipment vanished on arrival in January 2021.
- Another batch disguised as soup cans was caught in Spain in November 2021.
In total, 52 kilos of cocaine and heroin—worth up to £5 million on the streets—were imported or attempted to be smuggled in. The drug lingo “dirty” referenced heroin in intercepted Encrochat messages.
Five Kids Between Them, Forever Tarnished
Gordon, a dad of three, and Steadman, father to five, were convicted of conspiracy to import class A drugs. Gordon also faces charges for possessing and offering to supply cocaine. Jack Williams, 33 from Manchester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and awaits sentencing.
