Calvin Parris, 34, was jailed after fleeing to Portugal in 2020. He pleaded guilty to cocaine dealing and was sentenced.
Police arrested him last year, in October. He vanished in 2020.
Parris faced charges of cocaine dealing. He became a wanted man. He pleaded guilty in court last December. The judge sentenced him on Friday and he will serve twelve years.
The judge said his group smuggled drugs and brought them to Wales during lockdown. The gang used secret phones to arrange the drug deals. Parris used nicknames online.
Police searched Parris’ place in Cardiff, but he was not there at the time. The judge said he didn’t “escape,” as he wasn’t arrested before vanishing. Parris had past drug convictions and was on parole when he left in 2020.
He admitted guilt quickly after arrest, which reduced his sentence. The judge lowered it from eighteen to twelve years. Parris was the last gang member caught, and they trafficked cocaine worth millions.
An official said they tracked Parris down and returned him to Wales. The Portuguese police helped arrest him. Law enforcement worked together well to make sure he faced justice.
Police said Parris dealt drugs and his gang used secret “Encro Chat” phones. They tried to avoid getting caught. Drug trafficking hurts communities badly and police want to stop this crime.
Police caught an Albanian man, Lenci Gashi, who drove a van with cocaine. Michael Laverick led the gang in Wales. Asim Naveed distributed the drugs and Danny Attard stored them.
Parris and Damian Farrugia bought cocaine often. Amir Khan was a trusted customer. Police searched many locations and arrested gang members, finding cash and other evidence.
Naveed and Parris ran to Portugal. Police worked together to find them and arrested them later. Other gang members got prison time too, while Khan got over twenty years.