Anthony Terry, 49, from Wolverhampton, was found guilty of conspiring to import cocaine, cannabis and cash, while Michael Collis, 63, from Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to the same charges. Joshpal Singh Kothiria, 34, from Wolverhampton, and Mohammed Omar Khan, 39, from Birmingham, were also convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine.
The NCA investigation found that the gang had been smuggling drugs from the Netherlands to the UK and Ireland since 2020. They used the encrypted messaging service Encrochat to communicate and were able to evade detection by taking their drugs across the Irish Sea.
In February 2021, NCA officers seized £1.6 million of cocaine from a van that was being transported from the Netherlands to Northern Ireland. The same day, Terry was arrested in Wolverhampton.
NCA Branch Commander Mick Pope said: “These criminals were determined to smuggle drugs into the UK and onwards to the Republic of Ireland. They did not care about the geography of their crimes when in pursuit of pure profit. “They used the road and ferry networks to take their drugs across the Irish Sea, hoping to avoid detection by taking advantage of the common travel area and border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. “This case demonstrates perfectly how the NCA works with partners to tackle cross-border threats between the UK and Ireland, and we will continue to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups impacting on local communities.”
Terry was sentenced to 18 years in prison, Collis was sentenced to 12 years, Kothiria was sentenced to 9 years and 3 months, and Khan was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months.
