Global crime boss who lived in Cheshire jailed after 14 years on-the-run

The 61-year-old is now behind bars

International crime kingpin Mark Witchell has been jailed for a decade - after 14 years on-the-run in Brazil. The 61-year-old - who grew up in Staffordshire and Cheshire and was most recently living in Nantwich - had evaded justice in Brazil after fleeing the UK in 2011.

But he was arrested at Holyhead Port in August. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Witchell ran international crime rackets in stolen sports cars and illegal medicines. It led investigators to Spain, Brazil and Mauritius.

Ben Reid, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Witchell is a committed, organised criminal involved in multiple strands of illegal activity which he directed at arm’s length, using his network of associates to carry out his work on the ground. He fled to Brazil when he knew he was on law enforcement’s radar in 2011 where he felt safe enough to diversify and set up an illegal medicines business supplying customers worldwide.

“Witchell showed complete disregard for the vulnerable individuals who purchased from his websites and the dangers of the drugs he supplied, which were prescription medicines with side effects and high potential for addiction. Indeed, relatives of victims described the devastating effects of addiction to drugs such as zopiclone on their loved-one’s health and mental wellbeing.

“Organised crime has no respect for borders and we worked tirelessly to obtain evidence from abroad on this case, as well as liaising closely with partners including Staffordshire Police and the MHRA. This case demonstrates that the CPS is committed to pursuing criminals like Witchell wherever they are, for however long it takes.”

Witchell has been handed a 14-year company director ban.

Witchell pleaded guilty to five counts of theft relating to vehicles valued at £288,808.56, including a Porsche and a Mercedes, and three counts of removing or transferring criminal property.

Detective Constable Gareth Reynolds, from Staffordshire Police, said: “This was a highly sophisticated criminal operation which generated millions of pounds by profiting from other people’s vulnerability and belongings. While Witchell may have spent 14 years on the run, it is through our evidence and the action of everyone involved in this investigation which has ensured that he was not able to escape his offending, no matter how hard he tried. Cases like this show the scale that organised crime can reach. It is a business which preys on the vulnerable in local communities and something which we are working robustly to identify and act against every single day in Staffordshire.”

The medicines racket was investigated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Witchell was found to be the kingpin behind a £3.7 million online drugs and medicines supply operation from August 2013 to December 2015. Co-defendants - Grant Newton, of Fletchers Bank, Newcastle; Darrell Baggley, of Maud Street, Fenton; and Callum Baggley, of Grangewood Road, Meir - were sentenced in 2023.

Witchell admitted supplying a class B and C drug, selling prescription-only medicines, selling unauthorised medicinal products, and money laundering.

Andy Morling, head of the MHRA criminal enforcement unit, said: "This case involved the large-scale illegal supply of powerful controlled drugs and unauthorised medicines, putting the public at serious risk of harm. The fact that Witchell spent a decade overseas thinking he had evaded justice makes this result all the more significant. The dedication and professionalism shown by our criminal enforcement unit officers throughout this long and complex investigation has been exceptional. These crimes damage and destroy lives, and this case sends a clear message that there is nowhere to hide for those who seek to profit from medicines trafficking."

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