Key Points
- Fifteen individuals have been imprisoned following an extensive drug trafficking conspiracy spanning the entire UK that involved the trafficking of cocaine concealed inside cheese, chocolate spread, and frozen fish mince in Britain.
- West Yorkshire Police characterized the criminal organization as the biggest one it had ever dismantled.
- The gang is believed to have trafficked more than 4.5 tonnes of cocaine over northern England in 18 months.
- The Crown Prosecution Service said that the estimate based on their intelligence and evidence ranged between four and 14 tonnes with an estimated street value ranging between £400m and £1.4bn.
- The operation kicked off when two kilos of cocaine and ecstasy with a value of £2m were seized from a vehicle in East End Park, Leeds, in January 2023.
- More than 100 kilos of gouda cheese were imported through Dover to be delivered to a legal distribution center in Derby between December 2022 and April 2023.
- Drugs were found in industrial estates in Huddersfield, Cleckheaton, Halifax, and Blackburn, and the drugs were picked up by couriers from the Midlands, Lancashire, and the North East.
- Sentence passed until now stands at 196 years imprisonment, while three others still await sentencing.
Wales (Wales Times) October 30, 2026 — Fifteen men have been jailed at Leeds Crown Court for their roles in a criminal network that distributed cocaine smuggled into the UK hidden inside cheese, chocolate spread and frozen cod mince. West Yorkshire Police said the operation was the largest criminal enterprise it had ever disbanded, with the gang estimated to have moved more than 4.5 tonnes of drugs across northern England in 18 months.
How Was Cocaine Hidden in Cheese?
As reported by the BBC, more than 100kg of gouda cheese was transported into Dover as commercial freight before being taken to a legitimate distribution hub in Derby between December 2022 and April 2023. Refrigerated lorries then collected shrink-wrapped pallets and delivered them to industrial units in Huddersfield, Cleckheaton and Halifax in West Yorkshire, and Blackburn in Lancashire.
At those sites, blocks of cocaine concealed within large wheels of cheese were unpacked and repackaged in cardboard boxes and black bin liners. Couriers from the Midlands, Lancashire and the North East then collected the consignments for onward distribution.
Detective Inspector Kevin Daly told the BBC that organised crime groups were “very ingenious in coming up with different ways to be able to hide the drugs”.
What Did the Court Hear?
Sentencing the men, His Honour Judge Christopher Batty said those responsible had distributed “astronomical sums” of cocaine. He described the operation as a “sophisticated conspiracy to distribute what were huge quantities of cocaine that had been imported from South America via Europe”, according to the BBC’s report.
The exact quantity and value of drugs distributed by the network remain unknown. However, a Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said available intelligence and evidential assessments estimated the amount at between four and 14 tonnes, equivalent to a street value of between £400m and £1.4bn.
How Did the Investigation Begin?
The police investigation began in January 2023, when cocaine and ecstasy worth £2m were seized from a car whose driver was stopped in the East End Park area of Leeds. That discovery led officers to the wider distribution network.
After two members of the group were arrested in May and July 2023, police said they observed a change in tactics. Pick-ups moved to motorway service stations, while chocolate spread and frozen fish mince were used to conceal drugs.
Who Has Been Jailed?
Many of those sentenced in May and this week were arrested in December 2023 and convicted through a series of linked trials. Reporting restrictions had been imposed to avoid prejudicing those trials, but have since been lifted, the BBC reported.
Craig Goulding, 39, of Church Lane Avenue, Wakefield, was jailed for 25 years in May. Police said he was paid “thousands” to dispose of waste food from the operation.
The sentences announced include:
- Craig Asquith, 44, of Gill Sike Grove, Wakefield: 10 years
- Craig Goulding, 39, of Church Lane Avenue, Wakefield: 25 years
- Aiden McCullagh, 58, of Mill Grove, Brighouse: 25 years
- Ikram Sadfar, 44, of Willowfield Road, Halifax: eight years and nine months
- John Whittell, 43, of Spa Grove, Wakefield: 12 years and nine months
- Harry Johnson, 26, of Caledine Road, Leicester: 16 years
- Darren Johnson, 31, of Caledine Road, Leicester: 15 years
- Jordan Miles, 33, of Winchat Close, Coventry: 12 years and eight months
- Aaron Gowans, 28, of Chivers Court, Stockton-on-Tees: five years and 11 months
- David Jackson, 48, of Broadoak Avenue, Manchester: 14 years and four months
- Umaar Farooq, 37, of Gladstone Road, Halifax: 15 years
- Lewis Ockenden, 36, of Esther Avenue, Wakefield: 13 years and four months
- Brandon Eley, 31, of West Street, Tamworth: 10 years
- Anthony Etheridge, 70, of HMP Fosse Way: 18 months
- Aaron McNally, 38, of Ada Street, Manchester: 10 years and nine months
To date, everyone sentenced for involvement in the conspiracy has received a combined total of 196 years in prison.
Are More Sentences Expected?
Three further defendants are still awaiting sentence. Sammy Stapleton, 42, of Peel Hall Road, Manchester, and Nathan Reilly, of Oxton Avenue, Manchester, are due to be sentenced next month. Mark Briggs, 30, of Norham Avenue South, South Tyneside, will also be sentenced at a later date.
Detective Inspector Daly said tackling sophisticated organised crime groups remained a continuing challenge. “To a certain extent we take out one and another will try and repopulate,” he said, according to the BBC. “It’s something we are continually looking at. We are continually looking to try and tackle serious and organised crime.”
Background of the Development
The case followed a police operation that began with a routine vehicle stop in Leeds and expanded into an investigation spanning freight imports, distribution sites and courier networks across several English regions. The concealment methods changed after early arrests, with police saying the group shifted from cheese to chocolate spread and frozen fish mince. The sentencing marks the latest stage in linked prosecutions arising from the same conspiracy.
Prediction: What This Means for Communities and Businesses
For communities in West Yorkshire, Lancashire, the Midlands and the North East, the convictions may temporarily disrupt a major cocaine supply route and remove people police say held operational roles in the network. For freight, logistics and food-distribution businesses, the case highlights the importance of stronger checks on imported consignments, supplier verification and reporting suspicious activity. For the wider public, the outcome is likely to reinforce pressure on police and prosecutors to continue targeting organised crime groups that use legitimate trade routes to move illegal drugs.
