Gangster Paul Green's drug empire crumbles after drunken night out
- A large drug operation operated by Paul Green's gang used onions and garlic to hide the smell of drugs during transport.
- Leonard, responsible for packing drugs, was arrested after leaving a van unguarded in Amsterdam while he went out drinking.
- The arrest led to the dismantling of a mafia-like operation, showcasing the extensive efforts and repercussions of organized drug trafficking.
In the UK, a major drug smuggling operation run by gangster Paul Green, known as 'The Big Fella', was foiled when one of the gang's smugglers, Leonard, left a van loaded with 57 kilograms of amphetamines unattended in Amstelveen, a suburb of Amsterdam, after a night of drinking. This incident led to the arrest of Leonard and his accomplice by Dutch police. The group, consisting of 18 members, was operating from March 2016 until September 2018 and had orchestrated a series of drug importations on an unprecedented scale, reportedly concealing drugs within shipments of onions and garlic in order to evade detection. Prosecutors noted the gang's efforts to continue their operations despite numerous arrests and drug seizures, indicating a persistent determination to maintain their illegal activities. In total, they conducted around 240 shipments, with only a handful being seized by law enforcement agencies. The operation was characterized by its industrial-scale smuggling activities that caused immeasurable harm to communities across the UK. The judicial outcome included lengthy sentences for gang leaders and key operatives, with Green himself sentenced to a substantial prison term after previously altering his identity due to involvement in property fraud. This case reveals a larger problem of organized crime and drug trafficking affecting not only the local areas involved but also the broader society, highlighting the relentless fight authorities face against such criminal enterprises.