A Scottish man who played a key role in a multi-million pound heroin trafficking scheme has been ordered by the courts to pay back only a fraction of his illegal earnings, after authorities determined he lacked sufficient assets for full repayment.
Christopher Heaney, aged 48 and hailing from Anstruther, Fife, was a significant member of an organised crime group (OCG) responsible for trafficking large quantities of heroin across the United Kingdom. Court proceedings heard that although Heaney’s criminal activity had netted him more than £125,000 in illicit gains, he has only been required to repay just over £42,000—reflecting the entirety of his available assets.
The downfall of the OCG began with the arrest of Steven Creasey, a 67-year-old from Cardiff, during a targeted stop by police in Scotland on 12 May 2022. Investigators found Creasey in possession of 5 kilograms of heroin and a kilogram of adulterant, all hidden inside a sophisticated secret compartment beneath his car’s passenger seat. The interception formed part of an extended surveillance operation, later identified as Operation Solon, led by regional crime units.
In a notable twist, the case attracted further attention as Creasey was a former police officer, which added another dimension to the criminal network’s reach. Information extracted from a so-called “burner” phone found on Creasey led detectives to other high-ranking OCG members operating out of Liverpool. Among them were Christopher Brannan, 38, and Stephen Hopkins, 59, both responsible for procuring large quantities of heroin for distribution.
The scale of the organisation was revealed as authorities carried out coordinated raids across Cardiff, Liverpool, Scotland, and Northumberland during the latter months of 2022. These searches uncovered not only further supplies of drugs, ranging from heroin and cocaine to cannabis and opium, but also items used for processing and packaging, as well as high-end jewellery and other indications of the gang’s financial success.
According to evidence presented in court, the drugs would be distributed to various regions of the UK by individuals such as Heaney, Creasey, Kevin Thomson (45), and Jeffrey Hickson (61). Meanwhile, Brannan was instrumental in laundering the proceeds, passing money through bank accounts linked to his partner Kirsty Murphy, 36.
Heaney’s conviction followed his trial at Cardiff Crown Court on 6 February 2024, where he was found guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin. He is now serving a prison sentence of nine years and five months. His associate, Creasey, received a sentence totalling 12 years and seven months following his own conviction in March 2023.
During a subsequent hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), the court established that while Heaney benefited handsomely from his role in the drugs conspiracy, only £42,229 in assets could be identified for confiscation. Judge Lucy Crowther, presiding over the proceedings, ordered that this sum be repaid within three months, warning that failure to do so would result in an additional 18 months added to Heaney’s custodial term.
The case highlights ongoing challenges faced by the authorities in fully recouping the profits of organised criminal activity when tangible assets are difficult to trace or have been dissipated prior to conviction. While the sentencing and financial orders serve as a warning to others engaged in similar criminal ventures, questions remain around the effectiveness of asset confiscation in dismantling the economic foundations of such operations.
Nevertheless, the police operation is being viewed as a significant blow to drug trafficking networks operating between key UK cities. The collaborative investigation, backed by a range of regional police forces and specialists, underlines the scale and complexity of tackling cross-border organised crime in the modern era.
As law enforcement continues to intensify its focus on seizing the proceeds of criminality and disrupting illicit supply chains, the public will be watching closely for the longer-term impact of such high-profile convictions on the availability of dangerous drugs in communities across the country.