Header: Zak Archbold, 30,
A criminal network smuggled £10 million worth of cocaine into Britain concealed within UPS packages over just five weeks with help from an insider, a court has heard
A criminal gang allegedly smuggled £10 million worth of cocaine into the UK, hidden within UPS parcels over a mere five-week period. The operation was reportedly aided by an insider known as the “King”, Southwark Crown Court heard.
Packages laden with class A drugs were shipped from the Netherlands to a UPS depot in the UK, all earmarked for a semi-detached house in Essex. Members of the drug trafficking ring, operating under pseudonyms such as “Veggie Kray”, “Ghost” and “Cuddly Bandit”, paid roughly £2,000 per kilogram of cocaine imported into the country, the court was informed.
From mid-April to late May 2020, nearly 300 drug-filled parcels – boasting an estimated wholesale value of £10 million – were successfully routed through the Stanford-le-Hope facility in Essex, the jury was told.
Zak Archbold, 30, is suspected to be the group’s “inside man” at the depot, purportedly using his role supervising the loading of delivery vehicles to ensure the illicit packages went unnoticed.
Police seized Encrochat communications between gang members that referenced “UPS going well” and a series of “dry runs” of packages, with a UPS employee dubbed “King” playing a pivotal role and receiving £750 for each kilogram of cocaine successfully transported, reports the Daily Star.
Prosecutor Jenny Burgess stated that whilst Archbold wasn’t part of the Encrochat conversations – a secure messaging platform – he is believed to be the individual referred to as “King”.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/ups-employee-nicknamed-king-accused-33631809
