British drugs kingpin JAILED in France after MASSIVE 1.3-tonne cocaine seizure
A BRITISH drugs kingpin has been jailed for 22 years in France after evading the authorities for years, officials have said.
The serial drug dealer, Robert Dawes, rose through the ranks to command a widely feared global network. From Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, Dawes was convicted of drug trafficking offences. The conviction came following a 1.3-tonne cocaine seizure at a Paris Airport, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
The NCA described the 46-year-old as “one of the most influential and feared organised criminals in Europe” after the investigation by agencies across five nations.
It said he was convicted after he was heard in secret recordings bragging to a member of a Colombian cartel about his involvement of smuggling the drugs in suitcases from Caracas, Venezuela.
Dawes was arrested when officers swooped on his mansion in Benalmadena, a town in the Costa del Sol, Spain.
The Spanish Guardia Civil found guns, cash and encrypted phones at his residence, the NCA said.
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His network was said to span Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia, using corruption, violence and intimidation to exert control.
His associates are also suspected of shootings and murders in the UK and abroad.
NCA deputy director Matt Horne said: “Dawes was one of the most significant organised criminals in Europe with a network that literally spanned the globe.
“Dawes was prepared to use extreme levels of violence in order to further his reputation and take retribution against those who crossed him.
“Members or associates of his criminal group are known to have been involved in intimidation, shootings and murders.”
The married grandfather is suspected of ordering at least two murders.
He escaped justice for decades by using violence and sophisticated anti-surveillance techniques.
Moving around legal jurisdictions, he had associates in more than 50 countries, including Afghanistan, China, Italy, Nigeria, Colombia and New Zealand.
He is suspected of money laundering in Malta, Switzerland and Dubai, where he had at least £10million in property.