Home / Crime and Justice / Pink Cocaine Ring Busted by UK and Aussie Police
Pink Cocaine Ring Busted by UK and Aussie Police
2 Oct
Summary
- UK and Australian police dismantled an international drug smuggling ring.
- Over 250kg of 'pink panther cocaine' was intercepted in multiple attempts.
- Sentences range from 10 to over 17 years for convicted smugglers.
An international drug smuggling operation, orchestrated by a Liverpool-based crime group, has been successfully dismantled by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in collaboration with Australian authorities. The group made multiple attempts between February and March 2025 to export large quantities of a distinctive pink-coloured cocaine, known as 'pink panther cocaine,' to Australia and New Zealand.
The first major interception involved a 252.8kg consignment disguised as industrial equipment and sent via FedEx from Liverpool. This shipment, valued at £11.3 million in the UK and up to AUD$57 million in Australia, was flagged by a suspicious courier, leading to intervention by Border Force and the NCA.
Further attempts followed, with convictions including Lee Brittles, Teo Grbesic, Ashley Armstrong, and Karl Dalton. These involved shipments of MDMA and methamphetamine, often labelled as 'vehicle parts' or 'whiskey decanters,' which were also intercepted by Border Force and the NCA.
Teo Grbesic fled to Germany but was extradited to the UK and admitted to the smuggling charges. Sentences were handed down at Liverpool Crown Court, with Brittles receiving 17 years and eight months, Grbesic 13 years and four months, Dalton 12 years, and Armstrong 10 years and four months. An Australian-based offender involved in receiving a consignment is also awaiting sentencing.
