Top gangster who ran amphetamine lab and trafficked heroin and cocaine jailed
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A gangster who ran an amphetamine lab and trafficked heroin and cocaine has been jailed for more than 13 years. Colin Wright, 38, was captured in Spain earlier this year and extradited back to the UK to face justice following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.
Wright was said to be the head of the Scottish arm of an organised crime group (OCG). The NCA reported he was "actively involved" in the supply of cocaine and heroin in both Scotland and England, and created an amphetamine lab in his former hometown of Motherwell in North Lanarkshire.
Wright was snared as part of Operation Venetic, which has seen hundreds of arrests following the infiltration of encrypted communications platform EncroChat. The NCA said he is the final member of that OCG to be sentenced, with six others also serving jail terms for their illegal activities.
Wright worked alongside Terence Earle, 50, who was jailed for 16-and-a-half years in April 2023, and Earle's cousin Stephen Earle, 52, who was jailed for 11 years and four months in August. 'Bali Nine' drug smuggler ring members released after nearly 20 years in prison.
More than 1,600 arrested in county lines crackdown across England and Wales in 'intensification week'. Man jailed for attempting to import 29,000 skull-shaped ecstasy tablets into UK via Snapchat deal. Wright used the EncroChat handle 'Jack-Nicklaus' to communicate with the younger Earle. He also sourced drugs, assessed supply routes and found customers.
