**Heroin Kingpin Who Flooded North Wales Jailed After Years on the Run in Spain**
A Liverpool man who masterminded the import of huge quantities of heroin into Wales and beyond has been jailed after spending years evading authorities in southern Spain. Brian Storey, 49, played a central role in orchestrating the flow of the Class A drug onto the streets of North Wales, with investigators linking him to shipments valued at nearly £900,000.
Storey became the subject of a major manhunt after four of his associates were arrested for their involvement in the criminal network’s logistics operation. The group was discovered to have worked with contacts abroad, importing high-purity heroin from continental Europe through elaborate courier schemes. According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), Storey and his team aspired to smuggle up to 90 kilos of heroin into the country every week—a staggering figure that would have significantly contributed to the region’s drug problem.
The criminal operation involved smuggling heroin from Spain and the Netherlands into the UK via parcel services. Investigators uncovered thousands of encrypted EncroChat messages exchanged between Storey, operating under the alias “RichJay”, and his associates. The network set up bogus businesses in rented office spaces across Huntingdon, Northampton, Milton Keynes, and Swindon. Once the drugs arrived, they were dispatched to contacts in Liverpool and North Wales through courier routes established by Storey.
Under Storey’s direction, fellow conspirator Stephen Hunt was instructed to establish fake courier accounts and company fronts, while receiving detailed instructions on where to distribute the shipments once they had cleared customs. As the organisation’s link to key heroin suppliers in Spain, Storey’s involvement was crucial in managing the group’s supply chain and logistics.
The operation began to unravel in May 2020, when NCA officers alongside North Wales Police apprehended two gang members—Tyrone Holbrook-Harris and Darren Barrett—in a Mold pub car park. The men had in their possession almost 9.5 kilograms of heroin, estimated to be worth nearly half a million pounds. These arrests sent shockwaves through the group, reflected in a flurry of urgent EncroChat communications. One message, from an unknown sender to user “Syruproad”, starkly stated: “That NCA don’t f*ck about”.
Further investigations identified “Syruproad” as Dylan Sanger, 38, from Ellesmere Port. Both Sanger and Hunt were detained in the ensuing months as part of Operation Venetic, a national campaign against organised crime that capitalised on the compromise of EncroChat, a secure messaging platform favoured by criminals.
Even as the authorities pressed charges against the four arrested men, Storey’s true identity remained a mystery. It was not until October 2021 that the NCA positively linked the “RichJay” persona to Brian Storey. Nevertheless, a raid on his Liverpool home came just moments too late, as Storey had made his escape using a fraudulent passport, disappearing into southern Spain.
While his co-conspirators received a combined sentence of over 30 years in December 2021, Storey continued to elude capture overseas. It was only in September 2023, upon returning to the UK, that fate caught up with him. A Cheshire Police constable, attending an unrelated incident in Chester, recognised Storey and confirmed his wanted status with the NCA, leading to his immediate arrest.
Initially, Storey denied all charges, but during his trial at Caernarfon Crown Court he abruptly changed his plea. He was sentenced to 12 years and seven months’ imprisonment for his pivotal role in importing and distributing heroin.
Speaking following the sentencing, NCA lead investigator Luke Seldon commented: “Our investigation exposed that Storey was fundamental to the importation of nearly a million pounds worth of heroin. He coordinated with suppliers in Spain and ensured the drugs moved seamlessly into and across the UK network. Tackling the heroin trade is a public health and safety priority due to the devastating damage it inflicts on communities.”
The case underlines the ongoing efforts of British authorities in dismantling sophisticated criminal enterprises and highlights the dangers of drug trafficking in the UK. It also serves as testament to what can be achieved through inter-agency collaboration and the vigilance of dedicated officers at home and abroad.