Latest news with #NorthWestRegionalOrganisedCrimeUnit
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Alleged drug trafficker Francis Coggins arrested in the Netherlands
He is wanted in the UK on charges relating to smuggling cocaine and heroin Alleged drug trafficker Francis Coggins has been arrested in the Netherlands. The 60-year-old, who was wanted on suspicion of trafficking drugs to the UK was nabbed by Dutch cops outside a residential property in Zandvoort on Tuesday. It comes after he spent five years on the run. He was taken into custody amid ongoing cooperation between the National Crime Agency (NCA), the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU), and the Dutch National Police. Dutch National Police (Getty Images) News in 90 Seconds - 5th June 2025 Coggins, of Huyton, Liverpool, was wanted by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit on charges related to smuggling heroin and cocaine. He appeared before a court in Amsterdam on Wednesday as extradition proceedings began. He is alleged to head up the Huyton Firm - a large-scale organised crime group involved in drug trafficking, blackmail, contract killing and violent crime. Also known as the Cantril Farm Cartel, he runs the gang alongside his brother Vincent Coggins, who was jailed for 28 years last year. The powerful drug gang rose to prominence in Merseyside following the downfall of other gangs, such as the one headed up by the notorious Curtis 'Cocky' Warren. The gang originated in a small village and grew to gain a feared reputation, commanding respect from other crooks. Their downfall came when French authorities hacked EncroChat, an encrypted messaging service used by criminal organisations to conduct their business. 'The agency has been working extensively with the ROCU and our international partners to trace Coggins and return him to the UK,' Gill Duggan, head of Europe at the NCA said. '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.' Detective Superintendent Zoe Russo from the North West ROCU added: '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.'
Powys County Times
16-05-2025
- Powys County Times
Prison governor jailed over relationship with ‘Jesse Pinkman' drug boss
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. 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. 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. 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 lab at a premises on the England/Wales border 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. 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.' 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. '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.'
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.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Prison governor jailed over relationship with ‘Jesse Pinkman' drug boss
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. 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. 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. 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 lab at a premises on the England/Wales border 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. 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.' 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. '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.'
Wales Online
11-05-2025
- Wales Online
Paedophile who previously said 'only death will cure me' is caught once again
Paedophile who previously said 'only death will cure me' is caught once again Alan Cherry has been given a number of chances to change his ways - but was caught out yet again Alan Cherry has been jailed again A prolific paedophile who once said "only death" would cure him has been caught again. Perverted Alan Cherry is back behind bars after he was caught trying to talk to a child on the internet. The 67-year-old has been convicted of sexual offences three times and was last jailed for three years and two months back in 2021. After yet more sickening chats with an underage child came to light, the dad-of-three was arrested brought before the courts this week. Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday, May 8, that Cherry had started a conversation with a 13-year-old child over the internet, inciting the child to engage in sexual activity. Cherry, from St Helens, Merseyside, was identified and officers from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit [NWROCU] attended his address on March 25 to arrest him. Cherry was given four years and two months in jail after pleading guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He told a 13-year-old girl "that's a sexy age", reports the Liverpool Echo. Article continues below Cherry's twisted history goes back as far as 2017 when he was caught having graphic sex chats with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. The girl - 'Chloe' - was actually a fake profile set up by an undercover police officer. Merseyside Police raided his former home where they found a stash of indecent images - including of children as young as three. The court heard undercover police officers had created a fake profile for a 13-year-old girl called Chloe in June 2017 and went into various chat rooms including KIK and Chatstep. On June 5, 2017, Cherry began chatting to Chloe over a four-day period. When told she was only 13 he responded "that's a sexy age" and told her he was 59 and they continued having chats over four days "of an overtly sexual nature". On June 8, they spoke via Skype during which Cherry stripped naked and performed a sex act in front of the camera, it was heard. Police went to his home on June 14 and indecent child abuse images were found. Cherry pleaded guilty to four offences involving downloading and possessing the child abuse images and three offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. His barrister, Martine Snowden, said Cherry, who at the time had no similar convictions, was a window cleaner until fracturing his spine and has been unable to work, apart from some voluntary work making furniture for a charity. She said: "He is at a loss as to why he engaged in this behaviour. He cannot really understand why he has done it. It began with an interest in adult pornography and progressed from that. He is a lonely individual who has allowed himself to progress into this isolated behaviour in secret." Miss Snowden said he was ashamed and remorseful. In 2018 Cherry was handed a three-year community order, so he could go on a sex offenders treatment programme. He sent a photograph of his penis to a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Just two years later in 2020, Cherry was back before the courts after being caught sending a picture of his penis to a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Liverpool Crown Court heard a "paedophile hunter" group had set up a fake profile on Kik Messenger with the name of 'Sarah'. Derek Jones, prosecuting, said Cherry messaged Sarah on October 28, 2019, who immediately told him she was 14. Mr Jones said they started chatting and "very soon" Cherry - who revealed his true age - asked if she performed sex acts. Cherry repeatedly asked for naked photos, despite her saying: "Not again, you're embarrassing me." Mr Jones said: "He sent a photograph of his penis to the person he thought was a 14-year-old girl." Over a "few days" Cherry repeatedly asked Sarah about performing a sex act and encouraged her to do it. He then spoke to another member of the group - with an adult profile - and arranged to meet in Liverpool. They detained him in the city centre, until police arrived and he was arrested, on November 22. He was jailed for eight months and ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. But Cherry ignored the judge's warning and in 2021 was back before the courts where he confessed to sending vile messages to two 'girls' he thought were aged 12 and 13. This time the twisted paedophile told police: "I have a problem, there is no cure for me. The only way I can be cured is if I'm not alive." Liverpool Crown Court heard how in July 2021, a member of the group "Shatter the Silence" created a fake profile of a girl called Isla on the dating app Tagged. The profile said Isla was 25, but when Cherry contacted her on July 27, she said she was actually 13. Cherry, who said he was 64, began sending messages of a sexual nature. Another member of Shatter the Silence created a second decoy profile, Darcy, who Cherry started talking to on August 1. She said she was 12 but he also sent her vile messages. Article continues below Shatter the Silence contacted another paedophile hunter group, Fleetwood Enforcers, who went to see Cherry on August 12. After streaming his confession on Facebook Live they called the police, who arrested and interviewed him. Jonathan Keane, defending, said Cherry had told him he was "sorry" and "how disgusted he is by his actions". Cherry was jailed for three years and two months.
