A UPS employee known as ‘King’ has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a £10 million cocaine smuggling operation. Zak Archbold, 30, utilized his position as a supervisor at the UPS facility in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, to ensure that numerous packages containing class A drugs made their way into the UK from the Netherlands without detection.
During the trial at Southwark Crown Court, it was revealed that Archbold exploited his authority to bypass customs checks and direct the drug-laden parcels to the appropriate truck for collection by another member of the gang. The judge, Nathaniel Rudolf KC, handed down the 12-year sentence to Archbold for his role in fraudulently evading the importation prohibition of class A drugs, which encompassed 290 kilos of cocaine.
Another defendant, Steven Bullen, 51, admitted to participating in schemes to supply a total of 790 kilos of cocaine, as well as separate plots involving 242 kilos of MDMA and 114 kilos of amphetamine, while overseeing operations from his residence in Spain. Bullen received a sentence of 16 years and four months in prison.
Judge Rudolf noted that Archbold became involved in the drug ring due to financial troubles and actively contributed to the criminal activities. He emphasized Bullen’s prominent position within the gang, highlighting the utilization of designated drivers like the “B52 bomber,” concealed compartments in vehicles for transporting illicit goods, and the substantial volume of drugs sold.
Gemma Vincent of the Crown Prosecution Service underscored the significant role Bullen played in the drug smuggling network and praised the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies across multiple countries. The successful prosecution was attributed to the cooperation between the UK, Spain, and France, along with support from the National Crime Agency.
The exposure of the illegal drug operations was made possible in 2020 when authorities gained access to the encrypted messaging system EncroChat, which was used by criminal organizations worldwide to coordinate their illicit activities. The gang members employed aliases on EncroChat, with Archbold being referred to as “King.” Despite initially denying his alias, Archbold’s involvement was exposed through incriminating messages.
Judge Rudolf acknowledged Archbold’s naivety in joining the drug importation scheme and imposed a serious crime prevention order on Bullen. Both defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to import cocaine, with Bullen also pleading guilty to additional charges related to the supply of cocaine, MDMA, and amphetamine.