A former cage fighter, Paul “Boom Boom” Cahoon, aged 47, has been sentenced to nine years and three months in prison for his involvement in a major cocaine and amphetamine trafficking operation. The sentencing took place at Liverpool Crown Court.

Cahoon, who had been on the run for nearly a decade, was extradited from Dubai last year. Between 2015 and his arrest, he played a senior role in transporting cocaine and amphetamine between Merseyside and South Wales.

The investigation into the drug ring led to multiple seizures of drugs valued at up to £83,000, all linked to Cahoon. One significant seizure occurred on 27 January 2015, when police stopped Michael Challoner in a transit van in Widnes. A quarter kilogram of cocaine, worth over £20,000, was found hidden in the vehicle.

Further investigation revealed the parcel contained DNA belonging to Adam Parkes, who had met with Cahoon earlier that day. Both Challoner and Parkes pleaded guilty in 2016 to charges of possession with intent to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply cocaine, respectively.

The second major seizure occurred on 27 April 2015, involving Carl Currie, who was transporting twenty kilograms of amphetamine from Liverpool to Cardiff. The drugs, valued between £20,000 and £40,000, were found hidden in his vehicle.

Phone records revealed that Andrew Rogers, identified as a senior figure in the conspiracy, was in contact with Cahoon the same day when the delivery failed.

On 13 May 2015, in another operation, Peter McCaffery was stopped in Crosby, Liverpool, with nine kilograms of amphetamine, worth between £8,000 and £18,000, discovered in his car. Officers believed the drugs were collected from James Bush's address just before his arrest.

McCaffery, along with Bush, Wright, and Currie, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply amphetamine between 2015 and 2016. Andrew Rogers was convicted after a trial for the same conspiracy, and Louis Myles received a seven-year sentence in 2016 for his role.

This sentencing follows Cahoon's guilty plea earlier this week, where the court acknowledged his notorious background in MMA and his significant involvement in the drug trafficking network.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Worthington from the NWROCU’s Operations Team stated, "Paul Cahoon's sentencing is a testament to the relentless efforts of my investigation team and the invaluable support of the CPS and prosecution counsel. Despite his attempts to evade justice for nearly a decade, we remained committed to tracking him down and dismantling the drug trafficking network he was part of. This case highlights our unwavering dedication to protecting our communities from illegal drugs and serves as a warning to others involved in such activities that we will not rest until they are brought to justice."