A notorious drugs lord, Jon Moorby, aged 54, has had his prison sentence reduced under the government's early release scheme. He is currently serving a 29-year term in HMP Frankland.

Moorby, classified as a category A prisoner, could potentially be released in just four years. He is monitored through his cell spy-hole every hour and is accompanied by two prison guards whenever he leaves his cell.

In 2014, Moorby was sentenced to 15 years for supplying cocaine and amphetamine, having fled the country and been convicted in absentia.

While in Thailand, he continued to oversee the Teesside arm of an international drug operation, using chartered helicopters to transport cocaine into the south of England. The drugs were then ferried to Liverpool for storage before being delivered to Stockton with the help of encrypted devices from Thailand.

Teesside Crown Court revealed that this operation "flooded the streets of Teesside with cocaine." Moorby's gang associates funneled £59,000 to him during this time.

His luxury lifestyle came to an abrupt halt when Thai police apprehended him in a speedboat in 2017, as he attempted to evade capture on the island of Ko Mudsom.

After being extradited to the UK in 2019, Moorby began serving his 15-year sentence. In 2021, he received an additional 14-year sentence for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. His recent attempt to be re-categorized as a medium-risk prisoner was denied.

However, he has been notified of his expected release in 2028 under the 40 percent early release scheme. If he remains trouble-free in prison, he will be subject to a home-curfew release in June 2028. Although Moorby would have served a total of nine years, this includes the two years he spent in prison in Thailand for using a fake Belgian passport to enter the country.