Drugs kingpin

An international crime network responsible for importing more than 50 tonnes of cannabis and cocaine into the UK has been smashed. The last remaining kingpin, Philip Baron, pleaded guilty to conspiracies to import drugs and money laundering today.

A crime network responsible for importing more than 50 tonnes of cannabis and cocaine into the UK over the past 15 years has been dismantled by the Serious Organised Crime Agency. The five-year investigation involved:

During the course of the investigation there were drug and cash seizures throughout the UK, as well as in Spain and South America.

There's no doubt Baron and his associates were operating at the top end of organised crime. He lived a lavish lifestyle abroad, portraying himself as a legitimate businessman, while orchestrating the importation of huge amounts of drugs into the UK.

There is clear evidence that his criminal activity was having a direct impact on communities in many of our towns and cities. He recruited people whom he could trust to perform specific roles and moved drugs and cash around in a business-like fashion. Baron thought he was untouchable but we were able to work with partners, both here and overseas, to completely dismantle the crime groups he was linked to.

A network of international organised crime groups responsible for flooding the UK streets with more than 50 tonnes of cannabis and cocaine has been smashed by detectives.

Sentences totalling 189 years have been handed out following a five-year investigation led by the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Today at Liverpool Crown Court the last remaining kingpin, Philip Baron, aged 57, pleaded guilty to conspiracies to import drugs and money laundering.

Baron, who is originally from Salford but had been living in Ireland for the last 15 years, will be sentenced later this month. He had fought extradition for more than two years before losing an appeal at the Supreme Court in Dublin last November.

Among those already sentenced were two of Baron's close criminal associates who headed their own crime groups. Walter Callinan, aged 60, from Stoke, and Paul Hewett, aged 55, from Hampshire, arranged the importation of drugs while based in Spain.

Callinan was jailed for 11 years and Hewett received 20 years.

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Drugs kingpin