A drugs baron who flooded the UK with cocaine was told he'd entered crime at 'Premier League level' as he finally faced justice. Michael Moogan, 37, spent eight years on the run and became one of the country's most wanted men before finally being caught in Dubai.
He was dragged back to Greater Manchester after being extradited, and appeared philosophical on his return. "You’re not going to have any trouble from me," he told the arresting officer after arriving back on home soil.
"I’m tired now. Get me up to Manny and get me in Cat A. I’m done now."
Moogan was since been remanded in Strangeways prison and appeared on video link at Manchester Crown Court on Friday morning, where he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Moogan had no previous convictions before his involvement in huge importations of the class A drugs.
"You have chosen to enter the world of crime at Premier League level," Judge Paul Lawton told him. "You knew you were flooding the UK with cocaine, and in doing so enabling other organised crime groups to ply their trade, with all its inherent violence and associated criminality.
"You knew you were playing for extremely high stakes." Prosecutors told how Moogan had been involved in importing 62 kilos of cocaine into the UK after meeting other criminals at the Café de Ketel in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.
Dutch police bugged the premises, which was not open to the public and had an intercom to allow entry, to record conversations and took secret video footage of those leaving and entering.
The cafe was used as the 'operational base' for two brothers who were said to be wholesale importers who helped bring cocaine to Europe from South America before selling it on. Moogan and his father-in-law Robert Gerard, 57, both from Liverpool, were introduced to the brothers by Robert Hamilton, 71, from Hale, Trafford.
Hamilton told them that he knew two people who wanted to buy 60 to 80 kilos of cocaine, and vouched for Moogan and Gerard. He said the two men 'had their own transport', prosecutor Keith Sutton said.
The National Crime Agency said that Moogan told contacts that he brought cocaine into the UK concealed in meat from Argentina. The organisation, often dubbed the UK''s version of the FBI, said evidence showed that he was able to bribe port officials to ensure his drugs passed through.
Moogan and Gerard went to meet the brothers and discussed cocaine deals. They attended the café on 14 occasions between April and October 2013.
Mr Sutton said the secret recordings revealed that the pair arranged three importations of cocaine, of 20 kilos, 18 kilos and 24 kilos. They expected 'significant financial gain' from their crimes, the prosecution said.
Mr Sutton said the brothers were later arrested at the café, where police seized €319,575 in cash as well as firearms and ammunition. "It is clear that Mr Moogan was involved in a professional and well established criminal enterprise," the prosecutor said.
He said Moogan had the use of PGP encryption devices. Hamilton was jailed for eight years in 2014 while Gerard received a 13 year sentence in 2017 after they each admitted their parts in the conspiracy to import cocaine.
Moogan remained on the run until 2021 when he was traced to Dubai. When he was caught, police found he had three German identity documents under a false name but with his picture.
After a 'protracted' extradition process he was brought back to the UK last year and pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cocaine. Defending, Nigel Power KC said Moogan's period of offending represented a 'relatively small' part of his life, which had 'otherwise been a good one'. His partner and children remain in Dubai, Mr Power said.
Sentencing, the judge accepted that references submitted to the court showed Moogan in a 'rather different' light. But he said that despite Moogan having no recorded criminal history, he operated on a sophisticated level 'more akin to a seasoned professional'.
Moogan will serve half of his sentence in prison. After the hearing, Ben Rutter, Senior Investigating Officer for the NCA, said: "Moogan did everything he could to avoid this day but justice has finally caught up with him.
"He was a major figure in international drug dealing. His consignments of Class A drugs undoubtedly brought misery and real harm to the UK communities they reached.
"His long overdue jailing is the result of years of hard work by the NCA and law enforcement partners in the UK, Europe and Middle East. We thank the Dubai Police especially for their excellent work helping us track Moogan and ensuring his return to the UK.
"Fugitives should take note of this case – they can never rest easy. The NCA has a global reach and will never give up hunting them."
READ NEXT:
