Signed, Sealed, Convicted: Trio jailed for drug parcel operation

Three men have been sentenced after our officers dismantled a highly sophisticated drug supply network that operated across the United Kingdom, using postal services to deliver thousands of parcels containing Class A and B drugs.  

Iain Potter (21/03/1981) of Sefton Drive, Liverpool has been sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Jack Wright (21/12/1995) of Westgate Lane, Wakefield has been jailed for 11 years and four months for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Ross Fathi (02/02/1980) of Wingfield Drive, Wilmslow will spend six years behind bars for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Over a three-month period between January and April 2025, Iain Potter, Jack Wright, and Ross Fathi ran an industrial-scale operation from a warehouse in Edenfield, Bury. The warehouse was set up as a professional distribution hub, complete with packaging stations, vacuum sealing machines, label printers, and Royal Mail bags ready for dispatch.

Officers discovered lists of names and addresses alongside parcels already prepared for delivery.

Royal Mail records revealed the gang had sent 1,724 parcels between February and April 2025, each weighing between 0.1kg and 10kg. Every parcel carried a fake return address designed to keep their criminal enterprise under wraps should any of the parcels be intercepted by the police.

When officers executed a warrant at the unit in Bury, they uncovered a staggering amount of controlled substances. These included: cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, cannabis resin, THC edibles, and many, many more.

Following the discovery and forensic analysis, it was confirmed that empty packaging for at least 19kgs of cocaine were recovered, with a potential street value of up to £1.9 million, alongside other drugs which were seized being valued at between £109,755 and £337,432.

We also recovered more than £13,000 in cash, encrypted mobile devices, and equipment used to process and conceal drugs.

On Thursday 24 April 2025, Potter and Wright were arrested in Ramsbottom after being stopped with a suitcase containing 5kgs of cannabis skunk.

Searches at their homes uncovered further drugs and packaging linked to wholesale supply, including MDMA, ketamine, LSD, and cocaine. Fathi was arrested at the Edenfield unit and later connected to the conspiracy through encrypted messaging apps, which revealed his role as a courier and packer for the operation.

Messages showed him taking instructions from Potter under the alias “A Sam Poland A” and updating him on stock levels of Class A drugs.

The total estimated value of the drugs involved in this conspiracy, including seized substances and packaging linked to wholesale quantities, is believed to be in excess of £2.2 million.

Detective Constable Liam Smith from our Serious Crime Division said: “This was an organised criminal enterprise on an industrial scale, they would act as a legitimate outfit, flooding drugs via parcels throughout the country. 

“Potter, Wright and Fathi would use encrypted devices, fake addresses, and sophisticated packaging methods to try and evade detection. The quantity of drugs involved, and the planning shows they weren’t small time dealers, they ran a criminal outfit who were looking to maximise profits on a daily basis.

“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: if you choose to engage in drug supply, we will find you, dismantle your network, and bring you to justice. We will continue to target those who exploit vulnerable people for financial gain and ensure they face prison time.”