Helio Delfini, 43, of Rotherhithe Street, Southwark, was handed an eight-year prison sentence on Friday, April 17, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine. Delfini was part of a dark web drug ring operating under the vendor name UKWhite, moving high-purity cocaine across the UK and beyond.
UKWhite Dark Web Drug Empire Busted
Delfini ran the sophisticated drug operation online alongside Lucas Costa and Bruno Teles. Costa got 14 years in February, while Teles was sentenced to 12 years after being convicted of multiple drug charges. Together, the trio sold more than 28kg of cocaine in just 14 months, from tiny half-gram deals to bulk shipments over 100 grams.
Digital Forensics Nails Dark Web Dealers
Police from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) uncovered thousands of transactions linked to their UKWhite account. Detective Inspector Ross Flay revealed how the gang used anonymising tech and cryptocurrency to hide their tracks.
“Along with his co-conspirators, Delfini used anonymising technology and cryptocurrency-based payments to run a sophisticated dark web drug supply network from his home in London,” said DI Flay. “Thanks to painstaking digital forensic work and international support, we identified the people behind UKWhite and removed this vendor from the dark web.”
UK and International Customers Targeted
The investigation, which started in 2020, showed the pair shipped cocaine not just across the UK but internationally, hiding behind multiple London addresses. Experts spent months tracing the online activity back to the three men. This crackdown sends a clear message: the dark web drug trade can be smashed with relentless police work.
