Khalid Ali Ege, 50, of no fixed address, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in a major drugs plot that flooded communities with class A drugs. Ege directed a gang that supplied large quantities of cocaine and amphetamine in and around the Cardiff area.
Gang's operations and luxury events
Ege travelled to Merseyside to meet criminal associates linked to a drugs lab in the Birkenhead area. The lab used equipment and cutting agents from a supplier in China to process the drugs before couriers transported them into southern Wales for supply.
Ege, who also had contacts in the West Midlands, organised and hosted high-end hospitality events for senior gang members, including attendance at a boxing event at London's O2 Arena.
Flight and capture
Following the launch of Operation Vermont, members of the gang began to be arrested. Ege fled the UK in December 2019 to evade justice, remaining on the run for six years until he was detained in Paraguay in December 2025.
He was transferred to Spain in the custody of National Crime Agency (NCA) officers, then extradited to the UK in January this year. He was charged with being concerned in the production and supply of class A drugs, namely cocaine and amphetamine.
Investigation conclusion
A total of 32 co-conspirators have previously been sentenced as part of the investigation, between November 2022 and April 2023, resulting in a combined total of more than 256 years in prison.
Detective Inspector Andrew Gibbins, of the Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: "Operation Vermont has been one of the largest and most complex investigations into the supply of illicit drugs ever undertaken by Tarian ROCU."
He added: "The investigation resulted in the arrest and conviction of a significant number of individuals operating across Wales, England and Scotland, and involved extensive collaboration with policing and law enforcement partners both within the UK and overseas. This included two extraditions from Spain and international enquiries spanning China and South America. Today's sentence marks the conclusion of a lengthy investigation and demonstrates our determination to pursue those involved in organised criminality, no matter how far they travel or how long they seek to evade justice."
Gibbins concluded: "Tarian remains committed to identifying, disrupting and bringing to justice those responsible for causing harm to our communities. Whether you are directing an organised crime group, supplying drugs, producing them, transporting them, or carrying out any other role within a criminal network, we will pursue every available line of enquiry to hold you accountable for your actions. The significant sentences handed down throughout Operation Vermont reflect the scale of the criminality involved and our unwavering commitment to protecting communities across southern Wales."
