Organised crime boss Ritesh Patel has been jailed for 20 years after being extradited from Thailand to the UK for running a large-scale drug trafficking operation using fake NHS vehicles, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Patel, 43, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on 16 March 2026 after admitting conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin. Prosecutors said his network transported hundreds of kilograms of Class A drugs across Wales and northern England.
The court heard Patel led an organised crime group that used taxis and fake NHS Patient Transport vans to move drugs and cash across the country in an attempt to avoid police detection.
This follows his arrest in Thailand in June 2022 for using a fraudulent passport, after which UK authorities began extradition proceedings. After a series of appeals, a Thai court approved his extradition, and he was returned to the UK in October 2025.
According to the CPS, Patel operated from international hubs including Dubai and southern Spain, coordinating the distribution of drugs into areas such as Cardiff, Newport and Liverpool.
Investigators used encrypted EncroChat messages as key evidence after the network was decrypted by European law enforcement in 2020, exposing communications between organised crime groups.
Caroline Hughes, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said Patel was a “career criminal” who resumed drug trafficking shortly after serving a previous sentence.
Detective Chief Inspector Lloyd Williams, of Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit, said Patel had been responsible for distributing “staggering quantities” of drugs and had attempted to evade justice by operating overseas.
This comes as UK authorities continue to target organised crime networks using international cooperation, including extradition agreements and intelligence-sharing operations.
Officials said the case highlights the scale of organised drug supply networks and their impact on communities across the UK.