Three individuals have been imprisoned following the dismantling of an intricate drug distribution network that utilized Royal Mail to ship millions of pounds worth of illegal substances throughout the United Kingdom.
Iain Potter, Jack Wright, and Ross Fathi managed a large-scale operation from a distribution center in Edenfield, Bury, equipped with various tools like packaging stations, vacuum-sealing machines, label printers, and numerous Royal Mail bags for dispatch.
During a police raid on the facility, officers uncovered a wide array of illicit drugs, including cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, cannabis resin, and THC edibles.
The gang managed to send 1,724 parcels between February and April 2025, each weighing between 0.1kg and 10kg, with false return addresses on each package to avoid detection.
Authorities estimate that the group distributed a minimum of 19kg of cocaine, totaling around £2.2 million in value. In addition to drugs, encrypted mobile phones and £13,000 in cash were confiscated.
Potter and Wright were apprehended in Ramsbottom in April 2025 with a suitcase containing 5kg of cannabis. Further searches at their residences unveiled more drugs and packaging materials, while Fathi, the gang’s courier and packer, was arrested at the distribution center.
Potter, aged 45 from Sefton Drive, Liverpool, and Wright, aged 30 from Westgate Lane, Wakefield, received 11 years and four months imprisonment each for conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs. Fathi, aged 46 from Wingfield Drive, Wilmslow, was sentenced to six years for the same charges.
In a statement, the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) characterized the operation as a highly sophisticated drug distribution network. Detective Constable Liam Smith from GMP’s Serious Crime Division stated that the group operated on an industrial scale using encrypted devices, fake addresses, and advanced packaging techniques to avoid detection.
Smith emphasized that the significant quantity of drugs involved indicated the group’s organized criminal enterprise with a focus on maximizing profits. He concluded that the sentencing aimed to send a clear message that engaging in drug supply would lead to dismantling the network and facing justice.
