The downfall of the largest drugs importation conspiracy uncovered by the National Crime Agency (NCA) stemmed from a moment of drunken recklessness by foot soldiers of Cheshire crime boss Paul Green.

On Monday, the Manchester Evening News reported that Green, known as 'The Big Fella' from Widnes, Cheshire, and his accomplices received lengthy jail sentences following two trials at Manchester Crown Court. They were convicted for their roles in a £7 billion conspiracy involving drugs hidden in lorries carrying fruit and vegetables.

With reporting restrictions now lifted, new details have emerged about how the gang was apprehended. NCA detectives noted a critical incident where two of Green's associates, oblivious to being under surveillance, parked a van filled with drugs in Amsterdam and chose to indulge in a drinking spree instead.

Dutch law enforcement monitored the gang's activities and recorded Green berating his team, expressing concern about the potential loss of the van, indicating he was not unfamiliar with vicious consequences. His operations were linked to notorious criminal figures, such as John Kinsella and Salford mobster Paul Massey, both victims of the same assassin.

After returning from their outing, the two individuals drove off in the van containing 57 kilos of amphetamine worth approximately £1.1 million, only to be stopped by police in October 2016, marking the unraveling of Green’s drug empire.

One month prior, a Dutch haulage driver had suspicious concerns about a load, prompting police investigation that uncovered eight blocks of cocaine. This led to the surveillance operation that eventually implicated Green and his cohorts.

The gang camouflaged their drug shipments within shipments of strong-smelling food items, such as onions and ginger. They purchased up to 50 tonnes of onions weekly, leading to a surplus that was often shipped back to the continent as a cover.

To evade law enforcement, gang members employed encrypted communications, falsified documents, changed their names, and utilized both active and inactive legitimate businesses to facilitate drug imports.

On 29 March 2016, Border Force sniffer dogs detected smuggled amphetamine base oil concealed in cream bottles. Undeterred, Green's operations persisted.

The gang also attempted to smuggle eight kilos of cocaine worth nearly £1 million using a front company cloned from a legitimate business in Cornwall. They rented warehouses in the Netherlands and strategically scattered cocaine within other shipments before aiming to transport them to various locations in the UK.

In 2017, Green’s organization expanded by collaborating with a Dutch criminal group led by Barbara Rijnbout and Johannes Vesters, who received sentences of 18 and 20 years respectively after their extradition.

By 2018, the extensive scale of the trafficking operation became clear as NCA and Dutch police seized large quantities of cocaine and cannabis, culminating in three significant confiscations at UK ports.

In a desperate attempt to fund drug debts, Green and accomplice Leslie Kewin, 63, employed identity theft to obtain a mortgage on a victim's property.

Following Green's arrest, officers seized almost £10,000 in cash from his residence, where he and his wife had significantly overspent on luxury items just months before.

The sentences announced in May at the end of the first trial spanned nearly two years, including:

Paul Green, 59, received 32 years for three counts of conspiring to import class A drugs and four counts of conspiring to import class B drugs.

Oliver Penter, 41, received 24 years for two counts of conspiring to import class A and B drugs.

Steven Martin, 52, and Mohammed Ovais, 46, received sentences of 28 and 27 years respectively for similar drug conspiracy charges.

Iftikhar Hussain, 50, was sentenced to four years for assisting an organized crime group.

Russell Leonard, 47, and Alan Cumming, 54, received 24 and 21-year sentences, respectively, for drug importation conspiracies.

Barbara Rijnbout and Johannes Vesters pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges, receiving 18 and 20 years imprisonment.

Details surrounding the case can now be publicly disclosed following the conclusion of a nine-month linked trial. Two other gang members received suspended sentences, with five more awaiting sentencing later this month.