A 50-year-old man has been handed a prison term after evading capture for six years while heading a major drug trafficking operation.

Khalid Ali Ege became the last individual to be dealt with by the courts in relation to an extensive conspiracy that poured Class A narcotics into southern Wales.

The criminal enterprise was broken up as part of Operation Vermont, a prolonged inquiry headed by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit covering southern Wales.

Ege, who possessed no permanent residence, managed an Organised Crime Group functioning from the Cardiff region.

Detective Inspector Andrew Gibbins from Tarian ROCU stated that Operation Vermont ranked among the most substantial and intricate probes into illegal drug supply ever conducted by the unit. The investigation led to the apprehension and conviction of numerous individuals operating throughout Wales, England and Scotland, requiring extensive cooperation with law enforcement partners both domestically and internationally.

The group obtained narcotics from criminal contacts in the North West and West Midlands prior to distributing them across southern Wales.

Ege convened gatherings in Merseyside, the West Midlands and the Cardiff area, and provided entertainment for high-ranking members at occasions such as a boxing fixture at London’s O2 Arena.

The Liverpool faction maintained connections to a drug manufacturing facility in the Birkenhead region, utilizing equipment and diluting substances acquired through a Chinese supplier.

Ege coordinated couriers to convey the narcotics from England into southern Wales for circulation.

Operation Vermont resulted in 32 associates receiving convictions between November 2022 and April 2023, with cumulative sentences exceeding 256 years.

Ege left the UK in December 2019 subsequent to his co-conspirators being taken into custody.

He stayed at large for six years until apprehension occurred in Paraguay during December 2025.

Post-capture, he was conveyed to Spain by officers from the National Crime Agency before being returned to Britain on January 8, 2026.

He faced charges relating to involvement in manufacturing and supplying Class A narcotics, encompassing cocaine and amphetamine.

Ege received a 12-year custodial sentence at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on August 10.

DI Gibbins observed that the sentence concluded an extended investigation and showcased the determination to track down those engaged in organised crime, irrespective of distance travelled or duration of evasion. Tarian maintains its focus on locating, neutralising and prosecuting individuals responsible for harming communities. Those steering criminal groups, distributing or manufacturing drugs, transporting them or occupying any position within a criminal network will be investigated thoroughly and held answerable. The substantial custodial terms imposed throughout Operation Vermont illustrate the magnitude of criminality addressed and the steadfast commitment to safeguarding communities across southern Wales.