A criminal enterprise involving gangs from Greater Manchester and Merseyside collapsed after a costly mistake at Manchester Airport. Dale Hosker, 50, from Bury, and Dale Creen, 35, from Salford, teamed up with Elton Hallaci, 32, of Adlam Road in Fazakerley, and Artur Iseberi, 27, of Aintree Lane in Old Roan, for the operation.
How the Operation Unfolded
On May 11, 2024, seven US citizens flew into Manchester from the United States without any luggage. They waited for bags containing cocaine arriving from Cancun, Mexico. Eight suitcases arrived, and the couriers followed instructions from a US offender named 'Nate' to collect specific suitcases containing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. The couriers collected the suitcases from carousels, took taxis to a nearby hotel, and passed two suitcases to Hosker and five to Hallaci and Iseberi.
The Critical Mistake
One courier left a suitcase behind, which Border Force officers opened and discovered 20 one-kilogram blocks of cocaine. The National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation revealed that Hosker collected 40kg of cocaine, and the Albanians collected 100kg that day.
Second Attempt and Arrests
On May 31, 2024, 266kg of high-purity cocaine worth around £24 million was smuggled into Manchester Airport in 12 suitcases. Seven couriers were sent to collect them, but 246kg was seized. Only one female courier succeeded, handing over 20kg to Creen at an address in Bury. The other suitcases were seized, each containing 22 to 24 blocks of cocaine and a tracking device.
Hallaci, Iseberi, Hosker, and Creen were arrested on June 17, 2025, by NCA officers. CCTV footage captured them at Manchester Airport on the days of the importations. One courier photographed Hosker loading cocaine-filled suitcases into his car after the May 11 handover.
Evidence Found
At Hallaci's home, officers found keys to a Jaguar with a professionally fitted hidden compartment between the rear seats and boot, used for smuggling drugs. They also discovered notepads with detailed ledgers of cocaine importations, written in Albanian and containing fingerprints of Hallaci and Iseberi. The ledgers indicated drug distribution: 30kg to Bradford, 35kg to London, and 8kg to Birmingham.
NCA investigators seized two other Jaguar cars belonging to the Albanian organized crime group, fitted with aftermarket hides. On the day of arrest, Iseberi tried to escape across his roof, and in Creen's bedroom, officers found an axe, a knife, and a machete.
Sentences
At Bolton Crown Court, Hosker was jailed for 15 years and four months. Hallaci and Iseberi pleaded guilty to smuggling cocaine and possession with intent to supply, receiving sentences of 21 years and seven months, and 18 years, respectively. Last month, Creen was jailed for 11 years after being convicted by a jury of possession of cocaine with intent to supply, though acquitted of smuggling cocaine.
