UK Police Use Clever Tactic to Dismantle ‘Breaking Bad’ Drug Cartel
A UK police force cleverly took down a Mexican drug cartel using a smart trick
Norwich, UK, Drug Cartel, Crystal Meth, Cocaine, Police
Norwich: So, get this! The police in the UK pulled off a pretty smart move to bust a Mexican drug cartel that was sneaking crystal meth into the country. It all went down in an episode of Channel 4’s show, 24 Hours in Police Custody.
They discovered nearly a kilogram of cocaine hidden in a boat part. The cops set a trap that led them to a tattoo artist named Axel Ritter Cruz. His fancy home had 13 bags of methyl-amphetamine, which is basically crystal meth.
Cruz, who’s 39 and from Norwich, got a hefty 16-year sentence back in May 2023. The show followed the police as they uncovered a big drug operation in the eastern region.
The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) was on the case, and they seized drugs worth over £1.5 million. They found the stash hidden in secret spots in equipment coming into the UK.
They even intercepted a package from Colombia at Stansted Airport, which had almost a kilogram of cocaine worth £30,000 stuffed inside. The detectives swapped the real drugs for fake ones and let the package go to its destination.
This led them right to Cruz’s luxury pad in Norwich, where they found a bunch of suspicious-looking stuff that smelled chemical. Turns out, the 13 bags contained over 11 kilograms of crystal meth, valued at around £1.2 million.
One officer even joked, saying it looked like something out of Breaking Bad. Cruz, when questioned, claimed he had no idea what was in the package and just accepted it out of curiosity.
He said, “I would have chucked that in the river.” But, he ended up admitting to importing cocaine and meth, and now he’s serving time.
Detective Chief Inspector Mick Birch emphasized how dangerous crystal meth is and how important it is to keep it out of communities. They’re serious about going after those who profit from these harmful drugs.
If you’re curious, you can catch the episode titled “The Norfolk Narco Cartel” streaming now on Channel 4.