Prison officers where a international drug lord is being held think a 'helicopter will land and fly out' with him.
Jon Moorby, 51, also known as Mr Big, was part of a multi-million pound drug ring which saw them use a helicopter to traffic cocaine into the country via Liverpool from Antwerp. He's currently serving a 29 year sentence in HMP Frankland in County Durham after his gang flooded the streets of Teesside with class A's.
Four other gang members were sentenced to over 30 years in prison at Teesside Crown Court back in November of last year including David Wright, Craig Costello, John Watson and Steven Beazley.
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Now, Moorby has spoken to our sister title Teesside Live about his life in HMP Frankland.
Love in Thailand
Moorby's life now is far removed from the high-life he lived in Thailand, where he fled in June 2014. He says he fell in love with the country. He also found love with a Thai woman, and has a four-year-old daughter, although prison means he no longer has contact with her.
Moorby lived in a luxury villa but was caught when police received a tip-off that his son, Brandon, was regularly visiting him.
He said: "They arrested my mate when he went to pick Brandon up at the airport. They thought he was me. I got a phone call warning me about what had happened.
"I picked up a few things, including a Belgian passport and I fled. Lance [Lance Kennedy, a fellow Merseyside drug lord] organised a speedboat and I got to Ko Mudsom - it's in the middle of nowhere.
"But they came after me and I was surrounded by Interpol and Thai Police who held machine guns to my head. On the flight back to the UK, Cleveland Police officers were sitting all around me - they had been sent out to bring me back home.
"I said to them, 'I know what you've been up to. If it's the last thing I do- I'll expose you for what you've done.' They just laughed."
Ahead of Moorby's trial, it emerged in early 2021 that Derbyshire Police was investigating a complaint over Cleveland Police's handling of the investigation, on behalf of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Teesside Live has contacted the IOPC, Cleveland Police or Derbyshire Police but none have been able to provide an update as to whether the investigation has been concluded.
Pennies and protein shakes
Life in HMP Frankland is a world away from private islands, speedboats and luxury living. Moorby spends 23 hours a day in a cell on his own. He is penniless and relies on his elderly, housebound parents to send money so he can make phone calls and buy protein shakes.
A recent proceeds of crime investigation found that Moorby only had £349 in his Yorkshire Bank account. The £4.5m profit from the crime ring could not be found by a proceeds of crime investigation and appears to have gone.
If he leaves his cell for lunch or to use the prison gym or outside exercise area, he is escorted by two guards. He is checked on every hour through the cell flap.
He has to move cells every six weeks and is subject to frequent searches. He said: "Because of the helicopters we used, they think another one will land and I'll fly out of here. They've got me down as high security, high risk."
Upbeat Mr Big
But Moorby remains upbeat. He served two years in a Thai prison and said: "That changed me forever. I became hard. If you can survive a Thai prison, you can survive anything."
He is appealing his 2014 conviction - where he was found guilty of possession with intent to supply cocaine and amphetamines, in his absence. He hopes his case will be at the Court of Appeal soon - and then he said: "I'll be out in a little over two years".
He plans to return to Thailand on his release, whenever that might be.
'The ladies always loved Jon'
Meanwhile Moorby's mum Susan accepts all that has gone on, she said: "It's hard to know what happened with Jon. His brother leads a good life. But Jon - he's been in and out of prison for as long as I can remember.
"I've lost count of the different crimes. I'm not even sure how many children he has now, the ladies always loved Jon.
"He rings everyday but I can't see him because of my health, my mobility problems. I don't leave the house anymore.
"Jon's going out of his mind in prison but he says he'll never give up. When he had Covid in there he almost died, it was so bad. But he was doing sit ups in his cell whilst burning with a fever.
"He said, 'I'll fight this mam, I won't give Cleveland Police the satisfaction of seeing me die inside.' And he did you know, he fought his way through Covid and he'll fight his way out of there.
"I just hope he behaves this time when he's out."
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