Wayne Young’s money-making enterprise was smashed after suspicious parcels from the Netherlands were intercepted at an airport
A drugs boss ran a huge and highly lucrative cocaine smuggling operation from Hull that involved an estimated £9.7m in drugs brought in from the Netherlands – and his very own secret sophisticated processing centre. Wayne Young had his own highly-organised and fully operational drug-processing centre at his home, with a hydraulic press to compress cocaine.
But his money-making scheme was smashed after four suspicious parcels from the Netherlands were intercepted at an airport and an investigation was started, Hull Crown Court heard. Young, 35, of Sheldon Close, Hull, admitted conspiring with others to import cocaine into this country between February 1 and March 1, 2022 as well as possessing cocaine with intent to supply and possessing 324g of cannabis on March 1, 2022.
A jury had been sworn and a trial had begun before the court was told that Young had reconsidered his position during the prosecution case and wanted to change his pleas. He was sentenced soon afterwards and was jailed for nine years.
The court heard that Border Force officers seized the drugs at Birmingham Airport after four suspicious parcels were seen. A police investigation was launched in February 2022.
The parcels had been sent from the Netherlands and they were each disguised inside coffee machine boxes. They were all destined for different addresses in Hull.
Officers discovered between 3kg and 5kg of cocaine in each parcel, with a total of 15kg of near-pure cocaine. It had an estimated street value of £1.5m.
After the seizures, police executed search warrants on March 1, 2022. Young was arrested at his home. Inside, police uncovered a fully operational drug-processing set-up, including a 10-tonne hydraulic press and press plates that were used to compress cocaine.
A black holdall was found on the kitchen table and this contained 1kg of high-purity cocaine, thousands of pounds in cash, mixing agents, scales, seal bags and a dealer’s list. The total street value of the drugs recovered from the property was estimated at £146,140.
Police analysed Young’s mobile phones and these revealed a wider network of drug smuggling. At least 15 more deliveries from the Netherlands were identified from liaison work with the courier service and other agencies.
Police discovered that they bore striking similarities with the parcels intercepted earlier. These deliveries were traced and evidence showed that Young was responsible for tracking and collecting the parcels.
He would often pay the occupants of the delivery addresses in cash or by deducting the value from existing drug debts. Images found on Young’s phone showed silver foil packages identical to those seized by Border Force.
They were taken around the dates of the suspected deliveries. Police also found numerous photographs of large bundles of cash and they seized Sim card packages with handwritten names and numbers.
These further corroborated the delivery trail. The contents of these additional parcels were not recovered but the estimated weight was 81kg, with a potential street value of £8.1m.
After the hearing, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Jim Clough said: “Drug crime fuels violence, damages lives and exploits the most vulnerable people in society. Wayne Young operated a criminal network that sought to profit from bringing significant quantities of Class A drugs into Hull, with no regard for the consequences or the harm they cause.
“Thanks to the dedication of our Serious and Organised Crime Unit, and the vital support from UK Border Force and the courier service, we were able to disrupt this operation and prevent further harm.”