The drugs trafficker was part of a gang of four who ‘flooded the streets of Teesside with cocaine’ which was flown in from Europe
Craig Costello leaving court before he was convicted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs (Image: Teesside Live)
The final member of four Teesside pals – who were part of a global drugs ring – is set to see his assets confiscated. Craig Costello’s bank balances grew with dirty cash deposits and investments in Crypto currency.
A proceeds of crime application has already seen his five-bedroom home sold. Quad bikes and a number of vehicles have been confiscated and liquidised.
Costello, alongside business partners John ‘Winky’ Watson, Steven Beazley and Dave Wright, managed the Teesside arm of a global drugs ring between 2015 and 2016. They were working under Stockton drugs baron Jon Moorby, who alongside Merseyside gangster Lance Kennedy directed the movement of drugs from Spain and Belgium into the UK. Kennedy organised an estimated £17m of cocaine imports into the country.
The sophisticated operation saw class A drugs flown across the Channel in chartered helicopters, from 2015 to 2016. Couriers ferried the cocaine up to Merseyside, from Kent and then across to the north east. The four pals were all convicted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs in 2021 – after Cleveland police put them under surveillance to gather evidence.
Clockwise from top left Steven Beazley, John ‘Winky’ Watson, Craig Costello, David Wright
Costello, 43, was not in court to hear the jury’s verdict – the dad-of-four had fled the country for the Middle East. He was later caught, reportedly whilst driving in Amsterdam, and brought back to the UK to serve his nine-year-seven month sentence in June 2022.
Financial investigators claim the drug trafficker made £1.6m in illegal profits. Looking to recoup the drugs cash, prosecutors have identified a payment of £16,815 into Costello’s bank account as consistent with drugs trafficking profit, in addition to a further deposit of £3,175.
Investigators have traced £4,012.21 worth of Etherium Classic Crypto currency in Costello’s name, which is deemed to originate from his drug sales, say court documents. Costello’s home on Chesterfield Drive in Marton was sold after being identified as proceeds of crime, while he was in prison.
Although the dad-of-four has now served his time – the proceeds of crime application has rumbled on for over a year. Costello was released from HMP Kirklevington, near Yarm, in August on an electronic tag, under the 40% scheme.
The exact amount to be seized from Costello has yet to be settled due to the proceeds of Costello’s house sale not yet being finalised between him and his former partner, Victoria Costello, who started divorce proceedings after he was sent to prison.
Paperwork from the proceeds of crime application reveals that the equity in the house is £107,722.80. The outstanding mortgage owed to the Royal Bank of Scotland and a debt to the the government agency Homes England, were both settled with the cash from the sale.
The separated couple attended Durham Crown Court last month, when prosecutor Steve McNally said that Mrs Costello’s claim stems from cash “she says she paid as part of the deposit” on the home when it was originally bought. The CPS has halted the former couple’s divorce proceedings, until the finances are settled.
The convicted drugs trafficker has been found to have £137,577 in cash and assets available to be confiscated. A judge will make a confiscation order next year. Costello’s former drugs pals had their proceeds of crime applications finalised some time ago – John Watson, Steven Beazley and Dave Wright paid back less than £300,000 from a whopping £4m profit.
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