For years, Francis Coggins managed to slip through the cracks, living quietly in the Netherlands under a false sense of safety.
But one wild, drunken night in Zandvoort shattered that illusion and brought a long-running police hunt to an abrupt end.
The 60-year-old, once a key figure in Liverpool’s infamous Huyton Firm, was taken into custody after Dutch officers found him collapsed in the street outside a residential building.
That moment of recklessness closed the chapter on five years of hiding.
Life on the Dutch Coast and a Hidden Drug Empire
While keeping a low profile in the seaside town, Coggins wasn’t living a peaceful retirement.
Prosecutors revealed he was deeply embedded in a sophisticated drugs pipeline, buying heroin and cocaine in Europe and funnelling it into the UK using a network of UPS parcels.
His younger brother, Vincent, had been locked up back in 2020, but Francis kept the wheels turning from abroad.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that he operated behind the scenes from Zandvoort, staying in the loop with UK associates while overseeing shipments that crossed borders with ease.
How UPS Parcels Became a Gateway for Class-A Shipments
Coggins’ method was as bold as it was simple.
Using legitimate UPS account numbers—often belonging to unsuspecting companies like G-Star Raw—he disguised drug-filled parcels as everyday deliveries.
Once the packages reached North Wales, a corrupt UPS worker intercepted them before they ever reached the intended addresses.
From there, trusted couriers distributed the drugs to buyers across Merseyside, England, Wales, and even Scotland.
In a single year, this pipeline moved more than a tonne of cocaine and heroin, with a minimum wholesale value north of £16 million.
Brothers at the Helm of a Lucrative and Violent Group
Evidence showed that Francis and Vincent were seen as equals within the Huyton Firm—each called “gaffa” or “headmaster” by members who worked beneath them.
Francis controlled the European end; Vincent ran the UK supply chain.
Their operation boomed in early 2020, pushing out 350kg of drugs within just a three-month window.
In one two-week period, the gang collected £880,000 in cash.
The group’s reputation was notorious.
Among those they hired was Thomas Cashman, now known for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who the Firm previously used as a gunman.
A Stash House Raid and the Beginning of Their Downfall
Their empire began to fracture in May 2020 when a Merseyside stash house was targeted and £1 million worth of cocaine vanished.
Vincent took charge of the fallout, hunting for anyone he believed might be responsible.
The court heard he threatened and blackmailed a family he suspected, demanding money and property in return for their supposed involvement.
Francis wasn’t directly involved in the intimidation, but messages showed he followed every development closely—offering thoughts on how to uncover the culprits, while leaving Vincent to drive the retaliation efforts.
Defence Claims and a Judge Who Wasn’t Convinced
In court, Francis’ barrister, Sam Blom-Cooper, argued that despite his client’s involvement, Vincent sat at the very top of the organisation.
He claimed Francis was the one rolling up his sleeves and physically handling drugs in Zandvoort—something the higher-ups didn’t risk themselves—and therefore he shouldn’t be viewed as an equal in authority.
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones didn’t accept that interpretation.
Reviewing the messages, roles, and scale of operations, he concluded that Francis was effectively joint head of the crime group, no less significant than his younger brother.
An 18-Year Sentence Brings a Violent Chapter to a Close
Appearing via video link from HMP Manchester, wearing a grey sweatshirt and glasses, Francis listened as the judge outlined his role in organising large-scale commercial drug trafficking.
After years of running, hiding, and coordinating a multimillion-pound operation, the father-of-two was handed an 18-year prison sentence.
He quietly muttered “thank you” before the screen went dark.
In total, Operation SubZero—the investigation led by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit—has seen Vincent Coggins and eight other members jailed for more than 150 years collectively.
A Crime Network Now Dismantled
From Zandvoort to Liverpool, from UPS parcels to violent enforcement on the streets, the Huyton Firm once operated with confidence and control.
But a single drunken night abroad—one moment of carelessness—marked the beginning of the end for one of its most entrenched figures.
With both Coggins brothers now behind bars, the criminal group that terrorised communities and trafficked staggering quantities of Class A drugs has finally been dismantled.