Fake Computer Firm Fronts Widnes Cocaine Empire
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has smashed a crafty organised crime gang in Widnes, Cheshire. The gang masqueraded as a tech company called “Clarke Computers and Software Limited” to traffic industrial-scale cocaine.
They didn’t just fake it – they leased premises, stocked goods, and even made fleece jackets branded with the company name to appear legit.
EncroChat Bust Cracks Open Operation
The breakthrough came after the 2020 takedown of EncroChat, an encrypted phone service used by criminals. The NCA cracked the gang’s network, exposing massive drug trafficking and firearms deals.
The ringleader, 36-year-old Craig Gallagher, aka “Acidchest” and “Onion.com,” copped a whopping 24-year sentence. He admitted to brokering gun sales, importing over 100kg of cocaine worth around £8 million, and handling assets worth £3.1 million.
Sham Computer Company Used to Smuggle Drugs
During the 2020 lockdown, the gang pulled off daring moves to stay under the radar. They used a Renault Twingo with a secret stash under the passenger seat, a breakdown recovery truck to hide contraband, and a window-fitting van with a “workman” on emergency calls to move drugs.
Their HQ was an industrial unit at Trafalgar Court, Widnes, where cocaine was concealed in shipments of computers.
Gang Members Get Heavy Sentences
- Christopher Van Maren (“Bushyquail”) – 12 years for cocaine supply and handling criminal property
- Marcus Allen (“The Geek”) – 8 years for drug couriering and £686,500 criminal proceeds
- Wesley Campbell (“Fox-Bat” / “Covid-Kid”) – 12 years for buying and supplying drugs
- Kevin Boyle (“Maurice Clarke”) – 30 months for running the fake computer company and aiding the gang
Others, including Carl Pickering, David Jones, and Liam Reynolds, await sentencing in September after pleading guilty.
NCA Warns of Damage to Communities
Mike Beigan, NCA operations manager, said: “These men formed a very dangerous and damaging criminal organisation. They brought in industrial volumes of cocaine that have no doubt contributed to further waves of crime and misery in our communities.”
