A UPS employee known as 'King' has been convicted for his role in smuggling £10 million worth of cocaine into the UK. Zak Archbold, 30, worked as a supervisor at the company's Stanford-le-Hope depot in Essex, where he used his position to ensure parcels containing class-A drugs from the Netherlands passed through without scrutiny.
Southwark Crown Court heard that Archbold, despite denying involvement, was found guilty of fraudulently evading the prohibition on the importation of class-A drugs. The court was told the drugs gang paid approximately £2,000 per kilo of cocaine and smuggled nearly 300 parcels through the depot in just five weeks during April and May 2020.
The operation was uncovered after law enforcement gained access to the Encrochat messaging system, where gang members used aliases such as 'Veggie Kray', 'Ghost', and 'Cuddly Bandit'. Archbold was referred to as 'King' in messages discussing 'dry run' packages and noting 'UPS going well'. He received £750 for every kilo successfully shipped.
Prosecutor Jenny Burgess stated: 'He was running the show at Stanford-le-Hope in his role as the pre-load team leader. He was able, in his role at UPS, to facilitate the safe passage of parcels to the drivers for onward delivery.' Archbold was caught after a delivery driver was suspected of stealing money, and Archbold warned him to stop to avoid drawing attention to the drug operation.
Archbold, from Braintree, Essex, was remanded in custody to be sentenced later. He will be sentenced alongside Steven Bullen, who pleaded guilty. Three other suspects—Benjamin Thake, Craig Merrin, and Jurre Faber—remain at large.
