The specialist unit behind the Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership is investigating the "upstream and overseas" connections to a £17m ketamine seizure after a van was stopped on the East Lancashire Road in September last year. The joint National Crime Agency and Merseyside Police team, formed in 2021 under the government's 10-year drug strategy, marks five years as it continues to target high-risk organised crime groups using Merseyside as a base.
Paul Farrelly, of Redbank Close, Fazakerley, was driving a Volkswagen Crafter along the road on the afternoon of September 16 when officers pulled him over at around 4.30pm. After he appeared nervous, a search uncovered 22 sacks of ketamine, with a further 13 found hidden in a stack of kitchen countertops. The 35 sacks each contained 25kg of the Class B drug, totalling 875kg – a haul described as "truly staggering".
Farrelly, a cocaine addict who tested positive for the Class A drug when stopped, later pleaded guilty to possession of Class B controlled drugs with intent to supply. He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via video link from prison on Thursday, October 23 last year.
Upstream and overseas inquiry
Jon Hughes, joint head of the OCP, said the scale of the criminality indicated international links. He said: "The only thing I would say is, as, as you'd expect, with the scale of that criminality, it involves international elements and it would involve significant financing, and significant organisation and communications. That isn't somebody working independently, and where we can investigate upstream and overseas, we absolutely will do that working with our international partners, again, a unique area of the NCA. We're also working it down to those end users. I think with ketamine, what's often lost is the sort of public health harm. You've got our young people who consider it as a recreational drug, perhaps not initially realising the harm it's causing, but these people are presenting at health services with bladder issues. They're unable to have a functioning bladder for the rest of their lives and the mental health impacts as well, associated to use of the drug. I can't talk about the wider network with our investigations, we do what we can to investigate the upstream and the overseas element of it, but I would like to get the message across that those involved in this scale of criminality, we are absolutely focused on identifying evidence and prosecuting all those involved in this type of criminality."
Five years of results
Since its formation, the OCP has secured the conviction of 108 criminals, who have been sentenced to a combined 851 years for crimes including importing drugs, supplying firearms and money laundering linked to serious and organised crime. The unit has also taken 33 firearms off the streets, secured the forfeiture of £1.8m in criminal cash and identified a further £51m in criminal benefit subject to confiscation proceedings.
In total, the partnership has seized 1,945kg of drugs with a UK street value of approximately £70m, including 340kg of cannabis, 323kg of heroin, 405kg of cocaine and 877kg of ketamine – the drug at the centre of the East Lancashire Road seizure, which had a street value of £17m and a wholesale value of £2m.
Warning to criminals
Hughes sent a direct warning to those involved in organised crime in Merseyside: "We're committed to protecting the communities of Merseyside, and we will do that through ruthlessly pursuing anyone involved in serious and organised crime that will impact in the communities of Merseyside. We'll use the unique capabilities of both our respective agencies and organizations to identify your criminality, to evidence that, to prosecute you such that you will spend significant periods of time in jail. Not only that, we will also tirelessly go after all the assets that have been accrued as part of your criminality. There is very much a focus on the communities of Merseyside, the good, honest people of Merseyside, working hard. People involved in serious and organised crime, making vast amounts of money, that is an injustice, and what I would urge is those people in Merseyside that see that, I would urge that you report that."
Partnership comments
Det Supt Tony Roberts, co-lead of the OCP, said: "Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership has struck a blow to criminals in the county. Every day we are closing the net on more criminals who are intent on committing serious and organised offences in the area. Our specialist officers are using every tactic available to them and working with police in the UK and overseas in order to stop drugs and firearms being brought into and distributed from Merseyside. We're also hitting criminals where it really hurts by depriving them of their millions in illicit profits’. We're determined to keep communities safe and I urge anyone with information on drug, gun and financial crime to report it to police, because even the smallest piece of information could assist our investigations and help us protect communities."
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell added: "These results demonstrate the power of a relentless, coordinated approach to tackling serious and organised crime. Through the Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership, Merseyside Police is working hand-in-hand with the National Crime Agency and partners across the UK and beyond to identify, target, prosecute and ultimately put behind bars the individuals who bring misery, violence and exploitation into our communities. Behind every arrest and conviction are countless hours of surveillance, intelligence gathering and painstaking investigative work. These successes are only possible because of the dedication of specialist officers and staff, working alongside local policing teams and national partners to dismantle criminal networks from the streets of Merseyside right through to those operating at the highest levels of organised crime. Communities also play a vital role in helping bring these criminals to justice. Information provided by residents, businesses and local partners can be the crucial piece of intelligence that helps build a case, protect vulnerable people and take dangerous offenders off our streets. I would urge anyone with concerns about drug dealing, weapons or organised crime to continue coming forward, because together we are making Merseyside a hostile environment for criminals and a safer place for everyone."
