A MAN who was one of the UK’s most wanted criminals has been sentenced to 12 years in prison at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday (Feb 14), with links to drug supply chains reaching Pembrokeshire.

Calvin Parris, 34, from Cardiff, was the final member of an organised crime group (OCG) supplying drugs across Wales to be brought to justice after spending four years on the run.

It is believed that the group’s drugs made their way to smaller dealers and users across South and West Wales.

Parris was finally detained by Portuguese Judicial Police officers in the Algarve, Portugal, on October 3. Specialist National Extradition Unit officers from the NCA’s Joint International Crime Centre (JICC) escorted him back to the UK on October 15, 2024, where he was taken into custody by South Wales Police.

Duncan Burrage, NCA International Regional Manager, said: “After naming Calvin Parris as one of our most wanted fugitives, we were relentless in our efforts to track him down and return him to Wales to face justice.

“The jail term served to Parris today wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of our Portuguese Judicial Police partners who located and arrested him in the Algarve last year.

“This case demonstrates our commitment to work closely with domestic and international law enforcement to ensure there is nowhere for UK fugitives to run and hide from justice.”

Detective Sergeant Ceri Young of South Wales Police added: “Parris was a member of an organised crime group involved in a complex conspiracy to traffic class A drugs into South Wales using encrypted communications devices on the ‘Encro Chat’ platform.

“Organised crime and drug trafficking have a significant detrimental impact on communities, and bringing offenders involved in this level of criminality to justice is a priority for South Wales Police.”

Drug trafficking network uncovered

The scale of the operation was exposed when Albanian national Lenci Gashi was stopped on May 27, 2020, while driving a Citroen Berlingo on the M4 towards South Wales. His van was found to contain 15kg of pressed cocaine, destined for members of the OCG.

On June 16, 2020, Michael Laverick, identified as the head of the South Wales-based OCG, was arrested. Investigations revealed that between March 31 and May 27, 2020, the group took possession of 35kg of cocaine and paid £696,000 to upstream suppliers through a complex network of trusted criminal associates, safe locations, and couriers.

Laverick was supported by his second-in-command, Asim Naveed, who was responsible for the onward distribution of cocaine. Danny Attard played a key role in storing drug consignments at safe locations in Cardiff before their distribution.

Parris and Damian Farrugia, both of Cardiff, were identified as regular customers purchasing wholesale amounts of cocaine. Parris and Farrugia each received 7kg of cocaine, while Amir Khan was found to have received 6.5kg.

South Wales Police executed multiple search warrants across the region, leading to arrests and the recovery of cash, communication devices, and high-value goods, demonstrating the financial gains of the OCG.

Parris and Naveed fled the UK but were eventually tracked down in Portugal with the help of the National Crime Agency.

Sentences handed down to members of the OCG

• Amir Khan – 20 years 7 months
• Michael Laverick – 18 years
• Danny Attard – 14 years
• Damian Farrugia – 13 years
• Lenci Gashi – 11 years 4 months
• Asim Naveed – 10 years 8 months

Authorities believe their drug operation reached deep into communities across South and West Wales, including Pembrokeshire, further highlighting the devastating impact of organised crime on local areas.