A gangster who ran an amphetamine lab and trafficked heroin and cocaine has been jailed for more than 13 years.
Colin Wright, 38, was captured in Spain earlier this year and extradited back to the UK to face justice following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.
Wright was said to be the head of the Scottish arm of an organised crime group (OCG).
The NCA reported he was “actively involved” in the supply of cocaine and heroin in both Scotland and England, and created an amphetamine lab in his former hometown of Motherwell in North Lanarkshire.
Wright was snared as part of Operation Venetic, which has seen hundreds of arrests following the infiltration of encrypted communications platform EncroChat.
The NCA said he is the final member of that OCG to be sentenced, with six others also serving jail terms for their illegal activities.
Wright worked alongside Terence Earle, 50, who was jailed for 16-and-a-half years in April 2023, and Earle’s cousin Stephen Earle, 52, who was jailed for 11 years and four months in August.
Wright, left, and Terence Earle in St Helens in March 2020. Pic: NCA
Wright used the EncroChat handle ‘Jack-Nicklaus’ to communicate with the younger Earle. He also sourced drugs, assessed supply routes and found customers.
In March 2020, as the nation entered its first COVID lockdown, a criminal associate delivered boxes of alpha-phenylacetoacetamide (APAA), part of the amphetamine production process, to Wright.
Over the next few days the OCG began preparing the lab, but despite messages between them saying the “farm” was ready, they struggled to obtain the necessary solvents for the production process.
Terence Earle and Wright also exchanged photos of the liquid being treated, to check what colour it should be.
Wright outside his former home in Motherwell. Pic: NCA
Wright helped ship at least 20kg of cocaine and 10kg of heroin, with the former moved from Merseyside to Motherwell and the latter in the opposite direction.
The lab was also capable of producing 1,000kg of amphetamine.
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Wright travelled abroad in August 2020 and remained in Spain to avoid capture after NCA officers apprehended fellow OCG members in March 2021.
Wright was arrested by the Spanish National Police in Torre-Pacheco, Murcia, in March and was extradited back to the UK in October.
The NCA said a number of high value items were seized from his Spanish address.
High value items seized following Wright’s arrest. Pic: NCA
Wright pleaded guilty to five drugs charges at Liverpool Crown Court last month and was sentenced to 13 years and four months in jail on Monday.
The charges included conspiracy to supply class A drugs in Scotland and England, as well as produce class B drugs in Scotland.
Cat McHugh, NCA branch commander, said: “Wright’s case shows that criminals who seek refuge abroad are never immune from law enforcement’s reach as the NCA has the international scope to find them, bring them back to the UK and put them before the courts.
“His sentencing means that we have completely dismantled this organised crime group, who posed a grave danger to communities in Scotland and Merseyside, with the drugs they trafficked helping to fuel violence and exploitation in these areas.”
