Drugs network 'dismantled' by police

26 March 2013 Last updated at 09:55 ET

An international criminal network that smuggled over 52 tonnes of drugs into the UK has been dismantled after the boss admitted his role, police said.

Philip Baron, 58, from Salford, pleaded guilty to importing cocaine and cannabis and money laundering at Liverpool Crown Court.

He was caught after a five-year joint police probe that saw 89 arrests and 30 people sentenced for various offences.

Baron was living a luxury lifestyle with homes in Spain, Dublin and the UK.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) said the network was responsible for about 6% of all cannabis shipped into the country - 51 tonnes - over the last 15 years.

The drugs had an estimated street value of 300m.

Police say the group set up 12 virtual offices around the country, where they would have the drugs delivered to, and about 10m of cash was laundered from a base in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

During the police probe, named Operation Beath, officers intercepted 15kg of cocaine, with a street value of 2.5m, when it arrived at an office in Bolton.

The criminals used details of established companies to label packages full of drugs and had over 100 consignments delivered by legitimate courier services, police said.

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Drugs network 'dismantled' by police