A Liverpool man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after admitting his role in a failed attempt to smuggle £11 million worth of class A drugs into the UK hidden in an air compressor.
Ryan King, 38, of Tollerton Road, West Derby, was part of an organised crime group behind the smuggling operation, which sought to import 72kg of cocaine and 51kg of heroin in March 2022. The drugs were discovered by Border Force officers at Killingholme Port near Grimsby in Lincolnshire.
The consignment had arrived from the Hook of Holland in an unmanned trailer. During a detailed search, officers uncovered the narcotics concealed within the machinery of an industrial air compressor. Forensic analysis later linked King to the shipment, with his DNA found on the drug packages and on a tracker device hidden inside the compartment.
Following the discovery, the National Crime Agency (NCA) launched an investigation into the smuggling network. King was eventually arrested in December 2022 at Liverpool John Lennon Airport upon his return from Alicante, Spain. He was subsequently charged with attempting to import class A drugs into the UK.
Initially pleading not guilty, King was scheduled to stand trial at Hull Crown Court on Tuesday, 5 August. However, he changed his plea to guilty before proceedings began. The court was told that the seizure represented a major financial loss to the criminal organisation involved, as well as a significant disruption to their activities.
NCA operations manager Carl Barrass praised the coordinated effort between agencies, stating:
“This was excellent work by our Border Force partners to detect a large amount of class A drugs concealed in a piece of machinery. The loss of those drugs and the loss of King damages the crime group behind the smuggling attempt. They have lost a huge amount of money which cannot now be ploughed back into further offending, and the drug seizure means they will not be pushed around our communities causing misery.”
Cocaine and heroin are among the most harmful illicit substances in circulation, with their trade often linked to violent crime, exploitation, and addiction. Authorities estimate that the combined 123kg of seized drugs could have fetched millions on the UK’s streets, fueling further criminal activity.
The NCA, working in close collaboration with Border Force, continues to target major smuggling operations, focusing on identifying not just those who transport the drugs, but also the organisers and financiers behind the scenes.
King’s sentencing reflects the severity with which UK courts treat large-scale drug importation offences. The 14-year prison term is intended to act as both punishment and deterrent, sending a clear message to those involved in the illegal drug trade.
The investigation remains ongoing as law enforcement seeks to identify and apprehend other members of the organised crime group connected to the plot. For now, the seizure represents a significant success in the fight against the trafficking of harmful substances into the country.
