Breaking bad: British brothers’ crime spree hits skids in Thailand
In an extraordinary tale of lavish living, transcontinental intrigue, and the inevitable downfall of a supposedly unstoppable crime empire, two British brothers, Joseph and Gregory Mulhare, crafted a life that seemed straight from a crime thriller.
This tapestry of international drug trafficking, sprawling from the UK to exotic locales, ultimately unraveled due to meticulous police efforts and the bombshell revelations of an insider turned informant.
For years, the Mulhare brothers immersed themselves in an opulent lifestyle, hopping between glamorous destinations like Ibiza, Tenerife, France, and America, reported the Liverpool Echo.
This jet-set existence was the result of a multi-layered, sophisticated drug operation that dealt in cocaine, ecstasy, and amphetamines, weaving its way across Britain and into continental Europe. However, this carefully curated criminal facade crumbled spectacularly in November 2018, when a thunderous police raid descended upon their accommodations in Thailand, marking the denouement of their illicit reign.
At the heart of the operation was Joseph Mulhare, the so-called “principal.” He was portrayed by prosecutor Ian Unsworth KC as “a formidable figure” who governed the operation with a deft but distant hand.
Joseph excelled in manipulating an intricate “cell-like structure” to control drug distribution without directly handling any narcotics.
This allowed him to mastermind operations from the sunny solace of Spain, imparting commands and ensuring a smooth flow of drugs into England, Scotland, and beyond. His ability to obscure hierarchy gave him an appearance of invincibility, sheltering him from direct scrutiny while his complex puppet strings maneuvered silently in the dark.
Meanwhile, on the frontline, younger brother Gregory wielded a “hands-on” approach, managing logistics with military-like precision. He coordinated a fleet of drivers, crucial to sustaining the vast network, maintaining connections with an array of dealers across the UK.
Unsworth noted Gregory’s inexplicably opaque financial dealings.
“He had no registered form of income and in the five years prior to the main arrests he had not paid any tax to HMRC.”
Yet, he continued jetting off to places like Spain, Tenerife, and France, enjoying expenditures only their covert empire could support.
More than mere dealers, the Mulhares commanded an organisation that embodied secrecy and sophistication. They deployed encrypted PGP phones, ensuring “clandestine communications” free from surveillance.
Vehicles were outfitted with ingeniously engineered “hides,” adept at transporting drugs and cash under well-crafted guises. Such complexity lent the Mulhares’ operation an illusion of untouchability, a meticulously woven web that stymied outsider comprehension.
Despite these protective layers, an insider’s betrayal ultimately precipitated their unraveling. Ronnie Bateman, once a trusted confidant, turned informant, significantly aiding investigators in exposing the brothers’ criminal fabric.
Discussing Bateman’s contribution during Operation Manhattan, Unsworth revealed, “Ronnie Bateman provided a detailed account which confirmed much of what the investigation had identified,” offering unprecedented clarity into the brothers’ clandestine but ruthless business.
As the Mulhares’ empire was laid bare, the magnitude of their operation became evident. Basements in Birkenhead served as sites for voluminous ecstasy production, while an audacious Breaking Bad-style lab for amphetamines was established in Rock Ferry.
Their hazardous ambitions knew no bounds, extending operations to residential homes despite risks of exposure to dangerous chemicals, spurred by profits that surpassed caution.
Inevitably inviting legal scrutiny, their operations faced significant disruption. Police executed substantial drug and cash seizures, ultimately netting roughly £66,000 (2.86 million baht) in cocaine, £208,000 (8.99 million baht) in MDMA, £336,000 in amphetamine, £420,000 in cannabis, and £80,000 in cash. This wrested control from an enterprise that once appeared impervious to intervention.
Efforts to dodge capture saw the brothers evading authorities for over a year, moving between Morocco, Turkey, and finally Thailand.
This bid for freedom ended spectacularly in a November 2018 raid, orchestrated globally by police forces, bringing their high-profile escapades to a decisive close.
Presented with choosing between facing justice in Thailand or the UK, the brothers opted for extradition. This marked an end to the limited refuge their former lifestyle deceptively provided, leading them back to British soil to face a robust judicial response.
Courtroom proceedings were thick with security, ensuring the gravity of their crimes was matched by the seriousness of the response, yet defiance lingered, even as consequences settled.
Central to the case, Bateman’s testimony was pivotal. Prosecutors recognised his cooperation’s value, securing reduced sentences under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act in exchange for insights detailing the brothers’ operations.
Bateman highlighted Joseph’s overarching command.
“Joseph Mulhare is top of the tree…Joseph told me what to do, no one else.”
The court’s verdict sentenced Joseph to a 15-year term, underscoring his critical position as both architect and beneficiary of this extensive criminal enterprise. Gregory received a 12-year sentence, leaving the courtroom echoing with his final, defiant words, “nice one, see youse all later.”
Beyond their own fates, the brothers’ downfall rippled through their network, with 24 people facing justice. The collapse shattered a once seemingly invincible structure, illustrating the hazards inherent in such subterranean operations.
Reflecting on dismantling the Mulhares’ web, Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hussey revealed the challenge to his officers.
“This has been a long and challenging investigation which has finally culminated in the two main ringleaders in a UK-wide drugs conspiracy finally being brought to justice.”
Hussey underscored Joseph and Gregory’s central roles, spotlighting how their operations inflicted widespread misery and chaos.
As the dossier on the Mulhare brothers concludes, their tale serves as a cautionary tale: a sophisticated facade unmasked, revealing a web steered by clandestine ambition.
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