Multi-million-pound cocaine gang brought down in major Skegness and Liverpool police operation
A ninth person is due to be sentenced after detectives uncovered a £3 million cross-county drug supply network.
A multi-million-pound cocaine gang operating between Skegness and Liverpool has been dismantled following a major investigation by Lincolnshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit.
The network trafficked up to £3 million worth of cocaine, with detectives uncovering two connected groups - one based on the East Coast in Lincolnshire and another in Liverpool.
Eight people have now been jailed for a combined 55 years and six months, with a ninth suspect, Charlie Pamphilon of Southwark Close, Stevenage, due to be sentenced on Thursday 6 November.
"We were targeting a conspiracy to supply class A drugs between a Liverpool faction that was trafficking an estimated cocaine supply of between 24kg and 30kg, valued at approximately £2.4 million to £3 million on the street," said Detective Sergeant Adam Petty, Lincolnshire Police.
"Of this, the Skegness gang obtained around 15kg, valued at about £1.5 million.”
“By intercepting this operation, we’ve not only prevented further quantities of harmful substances from reaching the streets of Lincolnshire, but we’ve also disrupted criminal networks that fuel violence and exploitation on our East Coast and beyond.”
How detectives cracked the case
The investigation began in August 2023, when Ross Thompson and Lucy Moss were stopped with 178 grams of cocaine. Evidence linked them to Zacc Farrell, the Skegness ringleader, who sourced drugs from Liverpool.
Further breakthroughs came in January 2024, when officers intercepted courier Connor Fisher with 429 grams of cocaine worth over £40,000. Messages on his phone led police to Cory Bruen and Peter Humphreys, key figures in the Liverpool network.
Detectives later identified Farrell as directing couriers including Fisher, Tom Ashwell and Pamphilon, who travelled repeatedly to Liverpool to collect drugs.
Sentences handed down so far:
- Peter Humphreys, 43, of Rotherne Crescent, Halton, near Widnes – 12 years and 4 months
- Cory Bruen, 31, of Cleadon Road, Kirkby, Knowsley, near Liverpool – 12 years and 3 months
- Patrick O’Liffe, 41, of Parkview Road, Liverpool – 5 years and 2 months
- Zacc Farrell, 32, of Burgh Road, Skegness – 11 years and 3 months
- Connor Fisher, 25, of Main Road, Stickney, Boston – 5 years and 10 months
- Tom Ashwell, 25, of Wood Grove, Farnley, Leeds – 6 years and 3 months
- Ricky Adams, 41, of Mount Road, Liverpool – 2 years and 5 months
- Lucy Moss, 38, of The Causeway, Burgh Le Marsh, Skegness – 2-year suspended sentence
Separate proceeds of crime investigations are now underway to recover cash and assets linked to the gang.
DS Petty said the operation highlights ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks:
"We’re committed to fostering an environment where people feel protected, businesses thrive, and the East Coast is recognised as a safe and welcoming place to be.”