A massive drug trafficking operation involving a shipment from Sierra Leone has been uncovered in the United Kingdom, leading to the jailing of several members of a UK-based organised crime group.
British law enforcement authorities revealed that the gang attempted to smuggle 1.3 tonnes of high-purity cocaine—worth an estimated £140 million—hidden in sacks of garri flour exported from Freetown.
The illegal drugs were seized at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk on June 8, 2022, after arriving by sea via Morocco.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) launched a major investigation, Operation Lemonlike, following the discovery. The shipment was bound for an industrial estate in Wigan, northwest England.
The group was led by 45-year-old Darren Schofield, known as “Thor” due to his long hair. He was described in court as a key figure in a Merseyside-based criminal network. The gang used everyday locations—including a pub car park and outside a doctor’s clinic—to plan their operations in an attempt to avoid suspicion.
Also convicted were former professional boxer Stephen Martland and Paul Mockett, both from Chorley. Martland arranged the delivery premises and sourced chemicals to cut the drugs for distribution, while Mockett created a fake company to help acquire the materials needed to process the cocaine.
In total, the group has been sentenced to over 80 years in prison.
Although no arrests have been made in Sierra Leone, the incident has sparked serious concerns about the country’s vulnerability to being used as a transit route for international drug trafficking.
Authorities and anti-narcotics advocates are calling for tighter border controls, improved port security, and stronger collaboration with international agencies to protect Sierra Leone’s image and sovereignty.
