EVIDENCE in the trial of people charged over their involvement in the UK’s ‘biggest drugs conspiracy’ heard how a Bolton man played a key role in smuggling millions of pounds' worth of drugs into the UK.

The prosecution told a jury how Steven Martin, 49, of Chorley Old Road, allegedly played a key role, alongside Paul Green, of Widnes, in an elaborate fraud leading to a large conspiracy to smuggle drugs from Holland to the UK under the guise of bogus fruit and veg companies.

Martin first helped to set up an identity theft fraud in order to obtain money from a mortgage and was then key in ordering produce to disguise the drugs in and running the finances of the operation.

Money from this fraudulent mortgage was put into various bank accounts set up by Martin and used to pay off debts of earlier drug conspiracies, called Pot Fresh and Amstelveen, and to set up a new conspiracy, which lasted much longer, under the fake company name Blackpool Fruit and Veg.

Andrew Thomas QC, prosecuting, said: “There is ample evidence that it was Steven Martin who controlled those bank accounts, using bank cards and online banking.”

The court heard that the Blackpool Fruit and Veg conspiracy started in February 2017 and only ended when Green, Martin, and others were arrested in connection to the previous conspiracy, Pot Fresh, in March 2018.

This conspiracy involved over 170 shipments from Holland to a warehouse in Leeds where drugs, including heroin and cannabis, are believed to have been packed in onion boxes.

Martin booked flights for another man involved in the conspiracy to arrange the collecting and packaging of drugs and also arranged the ‘cover loads’ to hide the drugs in to haul over to Leeds from various warehouses in Holland.

Martin, Green and others deny drug importation charges. The trial continues.