Peterborough gang jailed for exporting cocaine hidden in travel books
Investigations revealed that three parcels had already reached Australia.
Three members of a Peterborough gang have been sentenced to jail after using wildlife and travel books to smuggle cocaine to Australia.
Troy Batchelor, Luke Mills, and James Kulesza were apprehended after the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) uncovered the export scheme, preventing over 12kg of Class A drugs from leaving the UK.
Starting in early 2025, ERSOU investigators pinpointed illegal shipments sent from Peterborough and Stamford. Collaborating with Border Force, four shipments concealed as books were identified with hidden cocaine.
Investigations revealed that three parcels had already reached Australia, where customs officials confiscated further drugs.
On 20th March 2025, simultaneous search warrants led to the arrests of Batchelor, Mills, and Kulesza.
Items seized during the searches included an extendable baton, a firearm, and several mobile phones that yielded clues directing officers to Blackbush Drove, Whittlesey.
At that location, additional searches revealed 8.8kg of cocaine along with modified Lonely Planet travel books.
All three suspects were charged and subsequently pleaded guilty at Cambridge Crown Court.
Batchelor, 49, and Mills, 46, admitted to evading prohibitions on exporting cocaine, receiving six-year and four-year sentences respectively.
Kulesza, also 46, pleaded guilty to engaging in organised crime group activities, resulting in a two-year-and-one-month sentence.
Detective Sergeant James Paget of ERSOU stated:
“This case demonstrates the considerable lengths to which criminal gangs will pursue to mask their activities and move harmful Class A drugs across international borders. Through meticulous investigative work and close collaboration with our partners, we were able to intercept these consignments and prevent a substantial quantity of cocaine from reaching Australia.”
Paget further emphasized that the investigation revealed connections to drug importation activities, underlining the extensive capabilities of the crime group.
“Disrupting networks such as this remains a priority, and these sentences reflect our determination to hold those involved in the supply of drugs to account."