UK Drug Kingpin Gregory Bell Jailed for 18 Years and Nine Months

Drug Kingpin Sentenced at Manchester Crown Court

Gregory Bell, 43, a central figure in one of the United Kingdom's most extensive drug trafficking operations, has been sentenced to 18 years and nine months in prison. The sentencing took place on Monday, October 20, 2025, at Manchester Crown Court. Bell pleaded guilty to charges including conspiring to supply Class A and B controlled drugs, specifically cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, ketamine, amphetamine, and cannabis, as well as money laundering.

The Scale of Bell's Criminal Enterprise

Bell's illicit network was described as a 'highly sophisticated organised criminal group' that 'operated like a business,' with Bell acting as its 'CEO'. He managed logistics, authorised deals, and collected profits, while deliberately distancing himself from the physical handling of the drugs. The operation distributed drugs on an 'industrial scale' across the UK, utilising encrypted mobile phones, spoofed identities, a network of couriers, and safe houses. Evidence presented in court revealed daily deals involving multi-kilos of various controlled substances. Cocaine was regularly sold for prices between £37,000 to £43,500 per kilo, and cannabis between £4,000 to £4,600 per kilo.

Lavish Lifestyle and EncroChat Communications

Bell maintained a lavish lifestyle funded by his criminal activities. He owned 34 properties across Manchester and two villas in Spain, residing in a 'prestigious rented apartment' in Prestbury, Cheshire, costing £2,200 per month. Prosecutors detailed how Bell paid his daughter's private school fees by handing over envelopes of cash to the school receptionist. He was also a gambling addict, staking approximately £2.2 million in bets with Ladbrokes and Betfred. The criminal enterprise heavily relied on the encrypted messaging service EncroChat, where Bell used aliases such as 'Castlenail', 'Rhinoradio', and 'Wonkyfrog'. The infiltration of the EncroChat system by European law enforcement in early 2020 was crucial in exposing Bell's operation.

Investigation and Associates

Bell was arrested in May 2020 following a surveillance operation. During his arrest, a packed suitcase and a Spanish travel document were found in his car, suggesting an intent to flee. Designer clothes valued at £70,000 were also seized from his apartment. His associates, Ian Ogden, 36, and Paul Brown, 52, were also sentenced. Ogden received 16 years and eight months, while Brown, who was extradited from Spain in 2024 after fleeing in 2020, was jailed for 10 years. Six other members of the organised crime group had previously been jailed in July 2023 as part of Greater Manchester Police's Operation Estavan. Detective Inspector Richard Castley of Greater Manchester Police's Serious Organised Crime Division stated that Bell was 'the head of a criminal enterprise that reached into every corner of the UK.'