The kingpins that used their prison cells as thrones for their illicit operation

Despite prison being both a punishment and a deterrent from committing further crimes, some people behind bars choose to continue their illicit operations from their cells. This is usually done with the help of illegal mobile phones.

Listed below are a number of criminals who used their time inside to help run a variety of operations including ones involving drugs and people smuggling. One man, Christopher Smith, was found to be in possession of 'a number' of mobile phones while at HMP Edinburgh which he used to run a drug operation.

Elsewhere, Mirkhan Rasoul had 15 years added to his jail term for his part in organising channel boat crossings from behind bars. He was already serving an eight year sentence in France for attempted murder and previous smuggling offences.

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Scroll down to read more about each case.

Michael Ferry

A drugs boss, who ran a lucrative cocaine empire from behind bars that was raking in "footballers wages", was told: "You are at the top in the North East and you are only in second gear".

Underworld Mr Big Michael Ferry was able to pull the strings at the head of an organised crime group using a smuggled-in EncroChat device. A court heard he was responsible for supplying 53 kilos of cocaine despite being jailed for a violent gang attack at a pub.

In messages recovered when EncroChat was infiltrated, Ferry and an associate talked of making £1m each within three years. Prosecutors said former boxer Ferry is a "feared and ruthless" crime gang boss.

The 33-year-old had been jailed for three years and nine months in 2019 for his part in a violent disorder for his part in a gang attack on The Fosse pub, in Walker, in 2016. But while in custody, he continued to break the law.

Messages show reference to Ferry having an Encrochat device in prison, from where he was able to direct operations. One associate told him "you are destined for the top" and "you are at the top in the North East and you are only in second gear".

He was jailed for over 22 years and must serve at least 11 years behind bars before being released on licence.

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Christopher Smith

A drugs kingpin who ran a major network from his prison cell to distribute Class A drugs around the country was jailed for nearly seven and a half years. Christopher Smith faces the prospect of dying behind bars after an operation to remove a brain tumour from his skull was only partially successful.

The 34-year-old failed to turn up for trial after being granted bail to have the operation earlier this year but changed his plea to guilty after surrendering to police. Smith’s drugs operation unravelled after detectives examined mobile phones recovered from drug couriers on the Isle of Skye.

He admitted committing the drugs offence at HMP Edinburgh and at addresses in the capital, Inverness, Nairn and elsewhere in Scotland between 8 March 2018 and 12 November 2019.

Advocate depute John McElroy KC told the court that Smith had been found in possession of several mobile phones while he was imprisoned in HMP Edinburgh.

He said: "During unrelated recoveries of mobile phones in other cases, it was observed that there was a correlation between the phones found in the possession of the accused and those recovered from other cases.

“The content of the dialogue between devices pertained to the onward sale and supply of controlled drugs, with the accused directing the owners of those phones to carry this out on his behalf as well as directly supplying controlled drugs.”

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Al-Shakil Sadiq

Al-Shakil Sadiq controlled the Shakka OCG from his prison cell in South Yorkshire. He used illicit mobile phones to coordinate the activities of his gang arranging for the transportation of Class A drugs from Manchester to Barrow to be sold.

In September this year, the gang was jailed for a total of more than 50 years. In 2023, Cumbria Police set about dismantling the 'Shakka' organised crime gang (OCG) which ran the drugs line from a prison cell in HMP Lindholme.

The gang flooded the streets of Barrow with class A drugs, using graft phones and bulk text messages to advertise their illicite wares. They even offered a delivery service, dropping drugs off at customers' homes.

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Mirkhan Rasoul

A people smuggling network jointly masterminded by an crime kingpin from jail has been smashed after reportedly being behind 10,000 perilous small boat Channel crossings. The incarcerated ringleader has had 15 years added to his jail term, with a string of his associates jailed after 18 defendants were found guilty at a trial in France.

The gang stood to gain about £83,000 in profit from each crossing. The group was prosecuted by the court in Lille in the wake of a Europe-wide police operation in July 2022 that led to dozens of arrests in Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands, with more than 100 boats, 1,000 life jackets, engines and huge amounts of cash seized.

The co-leader of the gang, Mirkhan Rasoul, was fined 200,000 euros (£167,709) in addition to being handed the longest jail sentence of all the defendants. He ran the organisation by phone from a prison cell in France, where he is serving an eight year sentence for attempted murder and previous smuggling offences.

He worked with Iranian asylum seeker Hew Rahimpur, 30, who was directing operations from his home in Ilford, east London, sourcing boats in Turkey and having them delivered to locations in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

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Leon Finnegan

A convicted criminal who continued to run a drug line from his prison cell has been jailed for a further 10 years. Leon Finnegan, 35, was serving a prison sentence for his involvement in the BEN drug line, which operated out of London and supplied crack cocaine and heroin on the streets of Harlow.

Finnegan had been jailed for running the line in 2019, after being caught previously in 2015. This seemingly put a stop to the BEN line, until intelligence emerged it had started up again in September 2020.

Due to his previous involvement, Essex Police examined records of Finnegan’s phone calls from prison, which revealed he continued to direct and advise others involved in the line. Finnegan admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs during his trial last year.

During a sentencing hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, February 2, Judge Timothy Walker said: “It is clear from the telephone conversations that you continued to play a significant role in the operation of the drugs line.”

Finnegan was jailed for 10 years and nine months, consecutive to the sentence he is already serving for prior drug dealing. According to Essex Police, its work has seen the BEN line "entirely dismantled".

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Nathan Henshall

A jailed crime boss who directed drug couriers across the UK from his prison cell has had his sentence extended. Nathan Henshall used a mobile phone to direct and advise his 'runner' Steven Howells whilst he was incarcerated.

The phone was discovered in December 2020 and revealed that Henshall had continued to direct and advise Howells whilst he was in prison. Howells was stopped by officers as he travelled northbound on the M6 in Staffordshire having made a return trip to Dorset in November 2020.

When officers searched the boot they found two ‘ Christmas presents’ containing £8,000 to £10,000 worth of cannabis. A third package also wrapped in festive paper had around £65,000 in cash.

On Thursday, May 2, HMP Oakwood prisoner, Henshall, 33, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court alongside his co-accused, Howells, 39, from Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

Henshall pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply a class A controlled drug (cocaine). He was sentenced to seven years and four months, consecutive to the sentence he is already serving between February and March 2020.

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