UK's Largest Drug Smuggling Ring Dismantled, Leaders Sentenced to Decades in Prison

Eighteen individuals convicted for smuggling drugs worth £7 billion into Britain, following a record-breaking investigation and trial.

The drug ring smuggled heroin, cocaine, cannabis, and amphetamines hidden in shipments of fresh produce such as onions and garlic to evade detection.
The operation, described as the largest drug smuggling network in British history, involved collaboration between British and Dutch law enforcement over several years.
The group's leader, a 59-year-old man, was sentenced to 32 years in prison for coordinating with multiple organized crime groups to facilitate the smuggling.
A record-breaking trial lasting 23 months in England and Wales was required to convict the perpetrators, marking the longest trial of its kind in the region.
The court emphasized the severe societal impact of the operation, linking it to addiction, suffering, and loss of life.