Three individuals have been incarcerated following the disruption of an intricate drug trafficking ring that utilized Royal Mail to distribute millions of pounds worth of illegal substances across the UK.
Iain Potter, Jack Wright, and Ross Fathi managed the large-scale operation from a distribution center in Edenfield, Bury. The facility was outfitted with packaging stations, vacuum-sealers, label printers, and numerous Royal Mail bags prepared for shipping.
Upon raiding the location, law enforcement uncovered a wide array of illicit substances, including cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, cannabis resin, and THC edibles, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.
Records from Royal Mail revealed that the gang dispatched 1,724 parcels between February and April 2025, each weighing between 0.1kg and 10kg, with each package concealing a false return address to avoid detection by authorities.
Investigators approximated that the group distributed at least 19kg of cocaine in an operation valued at around £2.2 million. Additionally, encrypted mobile phones and £13,000 in cash were confiscated.
Potter and Wright were apprehended in Ramsbottom in April 2025 when they were intercepted by police transporting a suitcase containing 5kg of cannabis.
Further searches of their residences led to the discovery of more narcotics and packaging materials, including MDMA, ketamine, LSD, and cocaine. Fathi, who served as the gang’s courier and packer under the alias “A Sam Poland A,” was arrested at the Edenfield facility. Authorities later connected him to the conspiracy through encrypted messaging applications.
Potter, aged 45, residing on Sefton Drive, Liverpool, and Wright, aged 30, living on Westgate Lane, Wakefield, each received sentences of 11 years and four months for conspiring to supply Class A and Class B drugs. Fathi, aged 46, residing on Wingfield Drive, Wilmslow, was sentenced to six years for the same offenses.
In a statement regarding the sentencing, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) characterized the operation as a “highly sophisticated drug supply network.”
Detective Constable Liam Smith from GMP’s Serious Crime Division remarked, “This was a large-scale organized criminal endeavor, where the individuals operated as a legitimate business, distributing drugs via parcels nationwide. Potter, Wright, and Fathi utilized encrypted devices, false addresses, and advanced packaging techniques to evade detection.
“The scale and planning involved indicate that they were not minor players; they ran a criminal operation aiming to maximize profits daily.
“The sentencing sends a clear message: if you engage in drug supply, we will track you down, dismantle your network, and ensure justice is served.”
