Calvin Parris, a key figure in a Wales-based drug ring, is jailed for 12 years after fleeing to Portugal.
Parris was a key gang member, bringing a lot of cocaine into Wales. Parris sent a photo of the cocaine in bags with badges. He supplied the drugs to users in Cardiff and surrounding areas.
The gang disguised drug deliveries using uniforms during the Covid-19 lockdown. This allowed them to move around freely. Parris used EncroChat to talk to other members, which helped them avoid getting caught. He used the names HopefulCrown and MadDagger, which the judge thought was bad.
Police went to his home in December 2020 to arrest him, but he had already left the country. Parris became one of the UK’s most wanted fugitives in 2020, and the National Crime Agency looked for him.
Police arrested Parris in Portugal almost four years later, finding him in the Algarve region. Portuguese police held Parris for two weeks. Then, they sent him back to the UK, where he admitted to supplying cocaine in court.
He was already on probation for a past drug crime, for which he had gotten six years. This new crime added to his problems. Judge Jenkins sentenced him to a total of 12 years, half in jail and the rest on probation.
Other gang members also got long sentences. Amir Khan got 20 years and 7 months, Michael Laverick received 18 years, and Danny Attard got 14 years. Damian Farrugia was sentenced to 13 years, Lenci Gashi received eleven years and four months, and Asim Naveed got ten years and eight months.