RCPO Landmark Case – The First Ever Use Of Immunity Powers Under SOCPA

A millionaire gambler was found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court today, for his role in the most sophisticated and successful global cocaine smuggling operation ever to target Britain.

Brian Brendon Wright was the head of a drugs organisation responsible for the importation of tonnes of cocaine to the UK from South America aboard yachts and motor vessels during the late 1990s.

In 1999, criminal mastermind Brian Brendon Wright fled to Northern Cyprus, sheltering from extradition, whilst many of his gang members including his son were facing lengthy prison sentences, following worldwide investigations and a series of trials which resulted in sentences amounting to over 200 years.

For years, Wright was beyond the reach of British law enforcement, as Britain has no extradition treaty with Northern Cyprus. However, it was only a matter of time before Wright left his safe haven in Northern Cyprus and moved to Spain, where he was subject to a European Arrest Warrant. Wright was arrested by the Spanish authorities in March 2005 and was extradited to the UK the following month.

Lawyers from Revenue & Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) were instrumental in the extradition process, working together with law enforcement agencies in Spain to ensure that Wright was brought to justice, and obtaining crucial evidence from other jurisdictions including Switzerland and France.

Most critically, RCPO lawyers worked hand in hand with their counterparts in the United States to obtain evidence from Wright’s American-based co-conspirators, many of whom were convicted in the US for their roles in the organisation. Those convicted in America included the following witnesses, all of whom travelled to the UK, to give evidence at trial:

The source of cocaine in South America;
A money-launderer / drugs transport organiser who represented the interests of the South American organisation in the UK;
A yachtsman (released having served approximately 8 years) responsible for sailing across the Atlantic with hundreds of kilos of cocaine, and
A yachtswoman (released having served approximately 7 years) responsible for offloading the cocaine in the UK.

All four American convicts testified against Wright following grants of Immunity from Prosecution under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA). This case marks the first-ever use of the power by the Director, David Green QC. Before immunity was granted, the RCPO case lawyer travelled to Miami to interview those witnesses still incarcerated over there and make an evaluation of the evidence that they could provide.

David Green QC, Director of RCPO, said: “This is an excellent example of international law enforcement agencies working together against international crime. RCPO prosecutors played a vital role in the extradition process and this is the first case in which we have used the power to grant immunity under SOCPA . I am delighted with this excellent result.”

Notes for editors:

The Revenue & Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) was created by Royal Assent on 18 April 2005. An independent prosecuting authority, RCPO reports directly to the Attorney General, and is responsible for prosecuting some of the largest drug and fraud cases in the UK.
A full briefing pack detailing the story of Operation Extend is available from the HM Revenue & Customs Press Office.
Extradition is the formal procedure for returning persons located in one country to another country for the purpose of criminal prosecution, to be sentenced for offences for which they have been convicted or for the carrying out of a sentence which has already been imposed.
The Extradition Act 2003 entered force on 1st January 2004.
The European arrest Warrant is a judicial decision issued by a Member state with a view to arrest and surrender by another Member State of a requested person, for the purposes of conducting a criminal prosecution or executing a custodial sentence or detention order.
The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA) creates a number of new powers to assist law enforcement agencies investigate, disrupt and prosecute serious and organised crime more effectively.
For further information, please contact Jas Garcha, RCPO Press Office on 0870 785 8221. Out of hours inquiries: 020 7865 5666.