A drug trafficking operation is alleged to have smuggled cocaine worth £10 million into the UK within five weeks using UPS parcels and assistance from an individual known as the “King,” as revealed in court.
The illicit shipments of class A drugs originated from the Netherlands and were directed to a residential property in Essex via a UPS depot in the UK.
The gang members, adopting aliases like “Veggie Kray,” “Ghost,” and “Cuddly Bandit,” reportedly paid approximately £2,000 per kilo of cocaine for each successful delivery to the UK.
Over a period from mid-April to late May 2020, around 300 drug parcels, valued at £10 million, were covertly transported through the Stanford-le-Hope depot in Essex, according to testimonies in Southwark Crown Court.
Zak Archbold, aged 30, is suspected of being the inside man facilitating the operation at the depot, utilizing his supervisory position to ensure the passage of drug packages.
Messages retrieved from the Encrochat platform among gang members indicated successful UPS operations, with a key individual referred to as “King” receiving payment for each kilo of cocaine successfully transported.
Prosecutors alleged that Archbold, though not directly involved in the Encrochat conversations, was likely the person identified as “King” due to his significant role in overseeing operations at the Stanford-le-Hope facility.
One member of the smuggling ring, Steven Bullen, has already confessed, while three other suspects – Benjamin Thake, Craig Merrin, and Jurre Faber – are currently evading authorities.
The prosecution emphasized the importation of cocaine into the UK through UPS, pointing to Archbold’s pivotal role at the facility in facilitating the operation.
Archbold is accused of exploiting his position to ensure drug parcels were loaded onto the correct vehicles for onward distribution, despite denying any involvement in the smuggling activities.
The trial continues as Archbold, hailing from Braintree in Essex, refutes the allegations of conspiracy to fraudulently import class A drugs between January 1 and July 1, 2020.