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Daily Record
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
'Drug trafficker' Francis Coggins snared in the Netherlands amid National Crime Agency probe
The 60-year-old was detained in the Netherlands. Alleged international drug smuggle r Francis Coggins has been arrested in Europe. He was detained in a Dutch coastal town amid a National Crime Agency probe. The 60-year-old was snared by officers from the Dutch National Police force outside a residential property in Zandvoort yesterday, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. He was taken into custody after ongoing work between the National Crime Agency (NCA), the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) and the Dutch National Police. Coggins, of Stockbridge Village, Merseyside, was wanted by the NWROCU on a trade and cooperation agreement warrant for allegedly smuggling heroin and cocaine. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. He appeared at court in Amsterdam today to begin the process of extradition to the UK and he was remanded to appear again on a date to be confirmed. Detective superintendent Zoe Russo from the NWROCU said: "This arrest demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that individuals wanted for serious offences, whether in the UK or abroad, are brought to justice. "We work closely with international law enforcement partners to track down and apprehend fugitives, no matter where they try to hide. The message is clear: if you are wanted, we will find you." Gill Duggan, head of Europe at the NCA said: " The agency has been working extensively with the ROCU and our international partners to trace Coggins and return him to the UK. "It does not matter where fugitives go. The agency's reach and strong relationships with international partners mean we will always tenaciously pursue those wanted by law enforcement." Coggins' brother Vincent, known as "the headmaster" to signify his role at the top of the Huyton Firm organised crime group, was jailed and convicted as part of the NWROCU's probe codenamed "Operation SubZero". Liverpool Echo reports that the arrests of many members of the organised crime syndicate resulted in some of the first EncroChat convictions in the UK.
Leader Live
27-05-2025
- Leader Live
Llangollen man had 45 kilograms of cocaine in his car boot
Raymond Kinnear, 63, of Abbey Farm, was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court today (May 27). His co-defendant and son - Nathan Kinnear, 23, of Satinwood Crescent, Liverpool - was jailed for seven years and four months after both admitted conspiring to supply cocaine. Nathan Kinnear (Image: CPS) In June 2024, North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) detectives, acting on intelligence, executed a warrant at a storage unit in Liverpool and discovered a grey Audi A4 registered to Raymond Kinnear. The car had been left in a unit on the Liver Industrial Estate in Walton hours earlier. Inside the Audi, there were 45 kilograms of cocaine concealed in Sports Direct bags for life. Raymond Kinnear was seen with Nathan Kinnear on CCTV earlier that day at a Liverpool Travelodge hotel, where he was later arrested. Raymond Kinnear also had a set of keys to the Audi that police had seized earlier that day. The Audi that the drugs were found in (Image: CPS) The next day, when police arrived at Nathan Kinnear's girlfriend's house, they found a Mercedes registered to him parked outside. Officers detailed Nathan Kinnear and arrested him after he attempted to flee the address by jumping out of a window. When police seized the vehicle, they discovered a receipt from the day before, on which he had purchased eight Sports Direct bags for life. Nathan Kinnear had been assisting his father in relation to the movement and supply of controlled drugs from at least the beginning of March 2024. When officers searched the homes of Raymond and Nathan Kinnear, they found more than £25,000 in cash and two Rolex watches. Both were questioned by officers but gave no comment. Some of the drugs found in the car (Image: CPS) Detective chief inspector Zoe Russo, from the NWROCU, said: 'These men have been jailed for supplying Class A drugs, which cause untold misery and harm in our communities. 'We hope that this sends a message to criminals that you are not untouchable. We are committed to ridding the streets of drugs, robustly dealing with high-harm offenders to reduce crime and restore trust and confidence in communities across the North West. 'Anyone who has information about drug dealing in the community should call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.' READ MORE Senior crown prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Raymond Kinnear is a career criminal who has been dealing in drugs on a large scale for several years. 'His son became involved in this latest venture to supply cocaine on an even bigger scale. The evidence the police gathered left them no option but to plead guilty. 'The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank the NWROCU for their work on this case. 'The drugs these criminals supply bring misery to communities. The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work tirelessly with the police and other agencies to bring them to justice.'
Sky News
16-05-2025
- Sky News
Prison governor jailed over relationship with drug boss known as Jesse Pinkman
Why you can trust Sky News A former prison governor seen as a rising star in the service has been jailed for nine years for having a relationship with an inmate who was the boss of a Liverpool drugs gang, police have said. Kerri Pegg, 42, was the governor of HMP Kirkham in Lancashire when she met Anthony Saunderson - also known as Jesse Pinkman, named after the drug dealer in the Breaking Bad TV drama - who is now serving 35 years behind bars. Pegg, who had risen from graduate entrant to governor in six years, granted Saunderson a temporary release, even though she was not authorised to do so, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) said. Concerns about their relationship began soon after she started work at the jail, with the two often being in her office with the door closed, Preston Crown Court heard. She had swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes, which Saunderson had bought with 34kg (75lbs) of amphetamines, and which was outside her flat in Orrell, Wigan, when police raided it in November 2020. Designer clothes, handbags and jewellery, were found by detectives, along with size 10 Hugo Boss slip-ons and a toothbrush with Saunderson's DNA. Investigators discovered she had been living way beyond her £3,000 a month income, buying Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces despite being deep in debt. Pegg tearfully told jurors she had been "incredibly stupid" but did not think she had done anything wrong. Barbara-Louise Webster, prosecuting, said Pegg had a promising future, but Saunderson "was her downfall". The pair met through an inmate programme called BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency), which Saunderson developed and delivered at several jails, even while he was himself running an amphetamines factory. Pegg, who was convicted of misconduct in a public office and possessing criminal property at trial last month, claimed her contact with Saunderson was down to the programme. The court heard Pegg, originally from Bramhall, Stockport, was a governor at HMP Kirkham by 2018, as Saunderson was reaching the end of a 10-year sentence for drug offences. He had been one of Merseyside's most wanted fugitives for his part in importing £19m worth of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina. Less than two months after being released from Kirkham in May 2019, he was involved in another massive drug conspiracy. Saunderson was jailed for 35 years at Liverpool Crown Court in August 2022 after investigators cracked the Encrochat system - the phone network used by serious organised criminals. It revealed both his drug dealing and his relationship with Pegg. Phil Copple, chief executive of HM Prison and Probation Service, said: "The criminal misconduct in this case lets down the public we serve as well as the vast majority of honest and hardworking prison staff." Detective Inspector Brian Morley, from the NWROCU's Prison Intelligence Unit, said Pegg was guilty of "serious misconduct", which undermines public trust in prison staff.
Wales Online
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
'Rising star' prison chief jailed over link to gangster who ran drugs lab from Welsh cottage
'Rising star' prison chief jailed over link to gangster who ran drugs lab from Welsh cottage Kerri Pegg had a relationship with crime boss Anthony Saunderson, known to associates as fictional gangsters 'Jesse Pinkman' or 'Tony Soprano' Kerri Pegg was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of possession of criminal property A 'rising star' prison governor has been jailed for nine years after having a relationship with a Liverpool drug gang boss, according to the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU). Kerri Pegg, 42, swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines by Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime boss, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. Divorcee Pegg, described in court as 'petite, blonde and bubbly', signed off on temporary release for Saunderson while she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, Lancashire. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here When anti-corruption police raided Pegg's apartment they found expensive jewellery and designer clothes, along with size 10 Hugo Boss slip-ons and a toothbrush with Saunderson's DNA. Known to criminal associates as 'Jesse Pinkman', the drug dealer in Breaking Bad, or 'James Gandolfini', the actor who played lothario mafia boss Tony Soprano in the eponymous TV series, even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg, neglecting his wife and 'work'. Pegg, a keen gym-goer inside jail, was seen as a 'rising star' in the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate entrant to prison governor in six years, along the way also having breast enhancement surgery. (Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved ) Article continues below During her trial at Preston Crown Court, it emerged that Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) for inmates at several jails while at the time being a major drug dealer, running an amphetamines factory. Pegg claimed her contact with Saunderson was due to his involvement in the BADD programme. Pegg was convicted of two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of possession of criminal property following a three-week trial last month. Phil Copple, chief executive of HM Prison and Probation Service, said: 'The criminal misconduct in this case lets down the public we serve as well as the vast majority of honest and hardworking prison staff, but it also demonstrates our determination to take robust action against those who fail to achieve proper professional standards.' The court heard Pegg, originally from Bramhall, Stockport, had worked in the Probation Service for eight years. Married at 26 and divorced four years later after her husband's building and renovations firm went bust, she switched to the Prison Service for a new challenge. Pegg joined in 2012 as a graduate entrant, working at prisons including Risley, Liverpool and Styal, and by April 2018 she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, where Saunderson was reaching the end of a 10-year sentence for drugs offences. He had been one of Merseyside's most wanted fugitives for his part in importing £19 million of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina. Pegg's £12,000 Mercedes C class car, paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines, by Saunderson From the start of her time at the jail there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson, with the two often being in her office with the door closed. She told jurors there were 'cultural issues' at the jail and clashed with bosses over her 'progressive' and 'hands-on' open-door policy with prisoners. In October 2018, Saunderson put in a release on temporary licence (ROTL) request which Pegg signed off, though she did not have the authority to do so. Saunderson was released from Kirkham in May 2019 and within two months, while still on licence, was involved in another massive drug conspiracy. Pegg's trial heard he continued contact with prisons in the BADD programme and was also still close to Pegg, who was at the time the regional official co-ordinating drug strategy in six prisons in the North West. Saunderson and his gang were producing and supplying drugs on an industrial scale from a drugs lab in Deeside on the North Wales border with England and a storage unit in Aintree, Merseyside. He was jailed for 35 years at Liverpool Crown Court in August 2022 after law enforcement agencies cracked the Encrochat system – the phone network used by serious organised criminals. It revealed Saunderson's drug dealing – and his relationship with Pegg. Anthony Saunderson When police raided her apartment in Orrell, Wigan, in November 2020, the Mercedes paid for by Saunderson in drugs was parked outside. They discovered designer clothes, handbags and jewellery, and found Pegg living way beyond her means, buying Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces. Detectives discovered that despite her £3,000 a month income, Pegg was deep in debt and had not declared three County Court judgments which amounted to misconduct, as debts make officials vulnerable to corruption. Her four credit cards were 'maxed out' and she had 6p in her savings account. Detectives also found the toothbrush and a pair of Hugo Boss flip flops both carrying Saunderson's DNA. Andrew Alty, defending, in his closing speech to the jury, claimed Pegg had been 'green and stupid', a naive and gullible person who was manipulated by Saunderson. Pegg tearfully told jurors she had been 'incredibly stupid' but did not think she had done anything wrong. Barbara-Louise Webster, prosecuting, said Pegg had a promising future, but added: 'Anthony Saunderson was her downfall.' Image sent between Encro users of the interior of the amphetamine lab at the North Wales cottage After her arrest and resignation from the Prison Service, Pegg became the operations manager for poverty and homeless charity The Brick, based in Wigan. The charity was aware of her being under investigation but she kept her job with 'substantial restrictions'. Tarryn McCaffrey, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Pegg's actions in becoming involved with a prisoner who had committed serious drug offences portrayed a total lack of integrity or judgment. Article continues below 'She displayed a shocking lack of professionalism in her role, overriding rules around Saunderson's temporary release and ignoring her obligations to declare personal debts.' Detective Inspector Brian Morley, from the NWROCU's Prison Intelligence Unit, said: 'Kerri Pegg was a senior figure within the Prison Service, a public servant expected to behave to the highest standards but this was serious misconduct on her part and greatly undermines the trust given to prison staff and order in a prison.'
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Member of gang that murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbell made £500,000 from his terrifying life of criminal violence but only has to pay back £1
A notorious Merseyside gangster has been ordered to repay just one pound of the £500,000 fortune he amassed from his criminal deeds. Paul 'Woody' Woodford, a member of the gang that gunned down nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in 2022, was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison in December 2021 for firearms offences and other misdemeanours. At a proceeds of crime hearing at Manchester crown court involving Woodford, his boss Vincent Coggins - a drug kingpin known as The Headmaster - and co-conspirator Michael Earle, Woodford acknowledged he had benefited to the tune of £499,960.50 from his life of crime. But the court heard that the gangster, represented by Sebastian Winnett, had only £1 available to pay back. 'The available figure is a nominal sum given his circumstances,' Judge John Potter said. 'I come to the view a confiscation order of £1 should be made. There is no time to pay.' He added that Coggins and Earle would appear for a fully contested proceeds of crime hearing on September 12. One of Coggins' most trusted associates, Woodford has convictions dating back 30 years for incidents including scalping a woman with a machete and torturing a man with a hot iron, machetes and knives. As a member of Coggins' European operation, he was part of a heavily-armed gang arrested in Amsterdam. Woodford was also charged with the 2012 murder of Jason Osu, a 31-year-old currency trader who held a pilot's licence, but slashed his own throat midway through the trial and refused to answer questions when giving evidence. He was found not guilty of murder after a seven-week trial and five days of deliberations. Woodford later adopted the EncroChat handle 'Kingwasp', which he used to source and distribute heroin and cocaine shipments for Coggins. The gang headed by Coggins originated in Stockbridge Village, an area of Knowsley in Merseyside, and was involved in the supply of significant amounts of cocaine and heroin across the UK. The group imported much of its illicit cargo through the Port of Liverpool before it was distributed nationwide. It is believed the gang's activities were assisted by port workers who were tasked with watching containers and a corrupt policeman. The gang, which had a reputation for extreme violence, included Thomas Cashman, a hitman for Coggins who was sentenced to life for Olivia Pratt-Korbel's murder. The group's use of encrypted EncroChat phones proved its downfall when the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) gained access to their messages after the platform was hacked by European law enforcement in the early months of 2020. They had planned to exact vengeance for the theft of a £1 million drug haul by a rival gang, but their messages were monitored by detectives and the plan was thwarted. Detective chief inspector Dave Worthington, from the NWROCU's operations team, said: 'These were extremely dangerous men and, had we not come across the serious threats of violence from the Coggins OCG through Operation Venetic, this could have been a very different outcome. 'It's clear that the Coggins OCG thought they were untouchable, and their messages untraceable, but with support from the NCA and Merseyside Police, we were able to bring this criminal enterprise to its knees and prove them wrong. This crime group made substantial amounts of money through their ill-gotten gains. 'The cash they made was moved and transferred via various means to launder it, which subsequently funded their lavish lifestyles.
